It’s been one year since Nintendo’s full acquisition of Monolith Soft in December 2024, marking a significant milestone in the growing studio’s long-standing relationship with Nintendo. Best known as the developer behind the Xenoblade series, Monolith Soft has played a substantial role in the development of numerous beloved Nintendo titles, several of which are now entries in the Zelda series.
In a recent interview, Fujita of Monolith Soft and Iwamoto of Nintendo reflected on the studio’s 15-year history of collaboration on The Legend of Zelda series. Their first project was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) which Fujita describes as an invaluable learning experience. Fujita admitted that the culture and development cycle at Nintendo was significantly more refined which made them a bit nervous at the start of their partnership, but they soon learned they could contribute their own unique insights as well. This collaboration allowed both studios to merge their approaches into a distinct development style, strengthening their relationship and paving the way for some of the Nintendo’s most memorable titles. That partnership would go on to shape several major Zelda releases, with Monolith Soft contributing to A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom.
During their time working on Breath of the Wild, Monolith Soft focused on level design and gameplay mechanics. The project’s massive scale challenged the studio and led to a stronger working relationship between the two teams. This successful collaboration led to Monolith Soft’s continued involvement in the development of Tears of the Kingdom. Their partnership grew even closer during the sequel’s development, with Nintendo staff frequently visiting Monolith Soft’s studio. During the final stages of development, Fujita temporarily moved to Kyoto for about a month to work directly with the Nintendo team.
In the future, Iwamoto expressed hope that Monolith Soft will be deeply involved in the development of the next Zelda installment. A full list of the studio’s past projects is available on their official website.
