Ubisoft has cancelled five projects, including the Prince of Persia remake, and delayed seven others amid a major restructuring.
Heavy news has hit the gaming sphere as one of the world’s largest game publishers, Ubisoft, has taken drastic measures to restructure its studios–resulting in a series of mass project cancellations, delays, and studio closures.
Ubisoft cancels Prince of Persia and five other projects; seven more delayed
One of the games confirmed to have had its development scrapped is the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, alongside five other unnamed projects. These cancellations reportedly include three new game IPs and one mobile title.
The cancellation of the Prince of Persia remake–of which the 2003 original is regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made–was a huge blow to anticipating fans, especially as it was near the game’s supposed release window.
Ubisoft outlined the reasons behind the unfortunate decision, singling out Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in particular, by stating that the game failed to reach the company’s desired quality and would require more commitment than they could provide. However, Ubisoft emphasised that this move does not signal the end of the franchise.
“While the project had real potential, we weren’t able to reach the level of quality you deserve, and continuing would have required more time and investment than we could responsibly commit. We didn’t want to release something that fell short of what The Sands of Time represents,” the Prince of Persia development team revealed.
The remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was announced in June 2024, with Ubisoft aiming to bring the beloved classic into the modern era. However, after multiple delays and what appeared to finally be positive progress towards launch, development on the remake has instead been shut down.
Alongside this move, Ubisoft has also delayed seven other projects. While the titles were not disclosed, the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag remake is rumoured to be among them.
Ubisoft still has several major releases planned for this year, including Rainbow Six Mobile, The Division Resurgence, and Might & Magic Fates–but fans can safely expect some of these projects to be affected by the ongoing cancellations and delays.
Ubisoft's aggressive changes ensued backlash
According to Ubisoft, the company's internal reorganisation comes as a result of increased competition and consumer choice in the gaming industry, which prompted them to redirect their focus on specific genres, naming Open World Adventures and Games as a Service (GaaS) experiences.
The major restructuring also resulted in Ubisoft dividing its development teams into several “creative houses”, each responsible for a specific line-up of games:
- Established franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six
- Shooter-focused titles: The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell
- Live-service experiences: For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, Skull & Bones
- Fantasy and narrative-driven series: Anno, Might & Magic, Rayman, Prince of Persia, Beyond Good & Evil
- Casual and family-oriented games: Just Dance, Idle Miner Tycoon, Ketchapp, Hungry Shark, Invincible: Guarding the Globe, Uno, and Hasbro titles
These sweeping changes at Ubisoft immediately sparked backlash from the community, with many pointing out the irony of the publisher being unable to remake its own iconic title, while simultaneously moving forward with widespread cancellations, delays, and lay-offs. The company is reportedly about to undergo another round of lay offs this 12 February.
Ubisoft employees launch union strike against CEO Yves Guillemot
The devastating changes at Ubisoft have been met with backlash not only from the wider gaming community, but also from employees within the French company itself. A union strike has been organised in opposition to the CEO, with staff demanding an end to the cost-reduction plan, the maintenance and expansion of remote working conditions, and fair pay rises for the coming year. The CEO and company have yet to publicly respond.
This story is still developing.
