Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake Cancelled – How Did It Come to This?

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It’s impressive what Ubisoft has been doing. Following the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows last year – which, while debated, was still a hit – things were looking up for the company. While they didn’t have many huge releases besides the successful Anno 117: Pax Romana, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Despite rumors about a Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag remake, a lack of news on The Division 3, and ongoing layoffs, 2026 seemed poised to be a strong year for them. They even kicked things off by releasing free updates for three older Far Cry games, bringing 60 FPS support to modern consoles.

Everyone launched their streams on the very same day the company announced they were cancelling Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.

We were all anticipating the game’s release, remembering talk of a mid-January launch. We waited for weeks, hoping for an announcement at events like The Game Awards or the New Game+ Showcase, but nothing happened. We even speculated about a surprise release. Given the official early 2026 release plan, we expected the publisher to do something with the remake. It turns out, after reports of a delay to late March, the game has been cancelled, and I clearly spoke too soon.

The Ubisoft Montreal team announced on Twitter that they’ve cancelled the project, admitting it’s very disappointing for fans. They explained that despite a lot of effort and initial promise, they couldn’t achieve the quality players expect, and finishing the game would have required resources they didn’t have. Rather than release a product that didn’t live up to the original vision, they decided to stop development, though they added that they still plan to create future games in the series.

Considering Ubisoft’s recent news, it seems they either weren’t happy with how this game turned out or didn’t think it would be commercially successful. After announcing the game over five years ago to a largely negative reaction, the development was handed to a new studio in 2024, essentially requiring a complete restart. It likely needed more time in development than Ubisoft was willing to invest, so they decided to reassign the team to other projects, hoping the cancellation wouldn’t be noticed – which is a bit ironic considering what’s coming soon.

Honestly, as a fan, it just feels like a total mess. It’s really disappointing to see a franchise I love treated like this – it’s just a bit of a joke, really.

Beyond that, Ubisoft has also cancelled four more games that hadn’t been publicly announced yet – including three brand new game ideas and a game for mobile devices. They’re closing down their studios in Halifax and Stockholm and making changes to others, like Massive. They aim to cut costs by another €200 million next year, which likely means more job losses. Interestingly, the company was actually doing better than expected just last quarter, but it seems that wasn’t enough to avoid these cuts.

Adding to these changes, the company is also moving to a new system with five Creative Houses, each responsible for its own finances and economic results.

Vantage Studios, led by Charlie Guillemot (the CEO’s son), focuses on major franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, with the ambitious goal of making each one a billion-dollar brand every year. While some might attribute this leadership to family connections, Tencent’s significant $1.25 billion investment likely plays a larger role. It’s debatable whether Ubisoft realistically expects each franchise to generate a billion dollars annually, considering how long it took to reach that level previously. Ideally, one would hope the company would prioritize quality games over simply achieving “billionaire status,” but given Ubisoft’s track record, maximizing revenue remains the primary focus.

Like the other creative divisions, they’re aiming to cover all types of gaming – from fantasy and story-driven games to ongoing live-service titles, competitive shooters, casual games, and more. However, grouping franchises like Anno and Might and Magic with Rayman, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good and Evil seems odd. Similarly, putting For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Skull and Bones, and Brawlhalla together – games with very little in common beyond being live service – feels disjointed. And is combining Splinter Cell with The Division and Ghost Recon under the umbrella of competitive and co-op shooters the best approach?

Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out if this whole restructuring means big studios are getting shuffled around. And get this – Beyond Good and Evil 2, which they announced way back in 2008, is still being worked on! Not the original idea, but the one they showed off more recently – that’s been in development for eight or nine years now. It’s crazy that that survived all the recent cuts, but The Sands of Time Remake didn’t. Seriously, why is it still happening after 18 years, especially with the original creator, Michel Ancel, no longer involved? I just don’t get it.

That talk about “full financial ownership and accountability for economic performance” actually sounds like Ubisoft is giving up control of its different game markets. It seems more like they’re preparing to attract outside investment, much like they did with Vantage Studios. I might be mistaken, but given their history, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Here’s an update from Ubisoft: while one unannounced game has been delayed until next year, the company is dedicating more development time to seven other projects. Unfortunately, that delayed game was Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake. According to Insider Gaming, it was nearly finished – scheduled to go gold in early February and launch on March 19th.

What caused Ubisoft to postpone the game for a whole year remains a mystery. Was it due to numerous glitches, or the reports that they were cutting out the present-day storyline? We might not ever find out, but the delay is still frustrating, particularly since it seemed almost ready to launch.

Honestly, it’s hard to see a positive future for Ubisoft despite their attempts to portray this as a period of correction. It feels more like a polished way to explain further layoffs and project cancellations while they wait for a few key games to potentially succeed. But we haven’t seen any news about the next Far Cry, and Splinter Cell Remake, announced years ago, is still nowhere in sight. Even The Division 3, which was revealed more recently, has stalled, and its lead producer has moved to a different studio.

Honestly, I think all this is why Ubisoft is trying to change things up, but the problems run deep. They keep chasing trends and starting a ton of games that just don’t pan out – I still remember Hyper Scape as a prime example! And it feels like there’s a real lack of someone keeping an eye on things. Those issues aren’t going to fix themselves, and without a major turnaround, I’m not sure what they have left to offer. They can try to scramble for now, but short of a miracle, things don’t look great.

Just so you know, everything I’m sharing here is my own opinion. GamingBolt isn’t necessarily agreeing with everything I say, and these views are just mine as a fan!

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2026-01-23 16:13