After more than half a decade in development, Ubisoft has finally pulled the plug on the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. Originally announced for an early 2021 release, Ubisoft indefinitely delayed the remake after fan reception was particularly negative to the reveal trailer. While sporadic updates were given over the years, with a confirmation last summer that we’d finally see the game in 2026, it seems this new iteration of Sands of Time was never meant to be.
Sadly, that’s not the only bad news coming out of Ubisoft today. As well as canceling Sands of Time, Ubisoft has canceled five other undisclosed games, delayed a further seven, and even closed two studios (one of which is Ubisoft Stockholm, responsible for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) in a massive company-wide restructuring. In a statement given to IGN, Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet said the following:
“We went through a thorough review of projects across December [and] January, with the current market evolution in mind — which is consistently more selective. You’ve seen the last quarter showing a never-before-seen level of competition. Competition is here to stay.”
How is Ubisoft looking to face such levels of competition? It will double down on open-world games and live-service titles while also embracing Generative AI. As the official press release from Ubisoft reads, “The new operating model will further empower the execution of the Group’s strategy, centered on Open World Adventures and GaaS-native experiences, supported by targeted investments, deeper specialization, and cutting-edge technology, including accelerated investments behind player-facing Generative AI.”
There’s really a lot to go over that is better explained in the aforementioned press release, but this significant shakeup to Ubisoft’s core business model seems to be made in reaction to current market trends. It’s hard to say if this will pay off in the end, but the immediate reaction is one of disgust. Closing studios to make up for failings of management is never the way to improve business in the long term.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
