The waiting game continues for fans of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Ubisoft’s highly anticipated remake of the 2003 original, first unveiled in 2020, will no longer see the light of day, as the industry giant has confirmed its cancellation as part of a sweeping restructuring effort that also includes multiple other scrapped projects and delays for seven titles.
It’s an unfortunate outcome for the game, which was already rebooted once and postponed several times before settling on a release window between 1 January and 31 March 2026. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was the only named work of the six, with three being new IPs, while one was a mobile title. The decision to shelve these projects, according to the company, was because they “do not meet the new enhanced quality [and] more selective portfolio criteria”.
Similarly, no specific detail was shared for the seven delayed projects, but the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag remaster, which hasn’t been officially announced by Ubisoft, is on the list. Reportedly planned for a release before 31 March, it’s now expected to launch in the coming financial year ending on 31 March 2027 as part of plans to “ensure enhanced quality benchmarks are fully met” and to “maximise long-term value creation”.
One of the major impacts of this shake-up is the full closure of Ubisoft Stockholm, a past collaborator on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and its Halifax mobile studio, with “restructuring” ordered for its Abu Dhabi, RedLynx, and Massive teams. Additionally, IGN reports that all teams will be required to return to in-office work five days a week, accompanied by an annual allowance of remote-working days.
The publisher is also set to split its efforts across five “creative houses”, designed to operate as independent business units focused on a particular area of interest or expertise, starting with Vantage Studios, which will lead development on its biggest properties: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
Creative House 2 and 3, meanwhile, are attached to shooters – namely, The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell franchises – and live experiences such as For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, and Skull & Bones, respectively. Finally, the fourth and fifth arms will channel their respective attention into narrative-driven and fantasy-oriented series (Anno, Might & Magic, Rayman, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good & Evil), as well as family and casual gaming, including Just Dance, Uno, Hasbro, Idle Miner Tycoon, Ketchapp, Hungry Shark, and Invincible: Guarding the Globe.
“These measures mark a decisive turning point for Ubisoft and reflect our determination to confront challenges head-on to reshape the Group for the long term,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in a statement accompanying the announcement.
“The portfolio refocus will have a significant impact on the Group’s short-term financial trajectory, particularly in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, but this reset will strengthen the Group and enable it to renew with sustainable growth and robust cash generation. Ubisoft is entering a new phase – one designed to reclaim creative leadership and build value for players and stakeholders over the long term.”
Considering that the Prince of Persia franchise is still listed under Creative House 3’s responsibilities, perhaps there may be a (very) slim chance that the Sands of Time remake will return in some form in the near future? One can only hope…
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
