Ubisoft officially cancelled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake on January 21, 2026, ending a six-year development cycle marked by studio transfers, complete restarts, and mounting quality concerns. The decision came as part of a massive company restructuring that cancelled six games total, closed studios in Halifax and Stockholm, and reorganized Ubisoft into five “Creative Houses” focused on fewer, higher-budget titles.
From 2020 Announcement to 2026 Cancellation
Originally revealed during Ubisoft Forward in September 2020 with a January 2021 release date, the remake faced continuous delays before development shifted from Ubisoft Pune to original Sands of Time studio Ubisoft Montreal in 2022. The Montreal team restarted development from scratch in 2023, effectively throwing away years of work. Despite promises of an early 2026 release as recently as November 2025, Ubisoft concluded the project couldn’t meet quality standards without additional time and investment the company was unwilling to commit.
In a statement to the Prince of Persia community, the development team acknowledged the decision’s difficulty: “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. And, we didn’t want to release something that fell short of what The Sands of Time represents.”
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept 2020 | Announced at Ubisoft Forward, Pune development |
| Jan 2021 | Delayed from original release date |
| 2022 | Development moved to Ubisoft Montreal |
| 2023 | Complete restart from scratch |
| Nov 2025 | Confirmed for early 2026 release |
| Jan 21, 2026 | Officially cancelled |
The Broader Restructuring Context
The cancellation represents one piece of Ubisoft’s “radical” operational overhaul announced CEO Yves Guillemot. The company is dividing into five Creative Houses, each focused on specific genres with full control over projects, budgets, and profits. Guillemot described this as speeding up decision-making and improving efficiency amid what he calls a “more volatile” gaming market.
Alongside Prince of Persia, Ubisoft axed four unannounced titles including three new IPs and one mobile game. The company delayed seven other games, with one major title originally scheduled for fiscal 2026 pushed to fiscal 2027 — likely the rumored Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag remake according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. Ubisoft stated these games “do not meet the new enhanced quality as well as more selective portfolio prioritization criteria.”
Studio Closures and Job Cuts
The restructuring’s human cost extends beyond cancelled projects. Ubisoft closed Halifax studio on January 7, 2026—just three weeks after 74% of its 71 employees voted to unionize with CWA Canada. According to Game Developer, CWA Canada is pursuing legal recourse, noting it’s unlawful in Canada to close a business because workers unionize. While Ubisoft claims the decision was made “well before” unionization, the timing raised immediate suspicions of union busting.
On January 13, Ubisoft announced approximately 55 layoffs across Swedish studios including Massive Entertainment (The Division, Star Wars Outlaws) and Ubisoft Stockholm. The company previously shut studios in Leamington UK, San Francisco, and Osaka during 2024-2025, cutting more than 1,500 jobs in the previous year alone. Ubisoft also reinstated mandatory five-days-per-week in-office requirements for most staff.
Community and Industry Reaction
Fans expressed devastation at losing what many considered Ubisoft’s most anticipated project. One community member stated: “This is the only Ubisoft game I cared about. Unless you revive Splinter Cell or Rayman, I’m out and you won’t be seeing any of my money.” The sentiment reflects broader frustration with Ubisoft’s franchise priorities, with classic properties like Splinter Cell seemingly abandoned despite fan demand.
Concerns about Splinter Cell’s viability emerged in community discussions, with some noting that modern gaming trends favor action-heavy experiences over the deliberate stealth gameplay that defined Sam Fisher’s adventures. As one observer noted, “I’ve seen ppl say that it would need to take a more action heavy Jason Bourne style rather than stealth and shadows because a lot of modern gamers don’t want to play games like that which sucks.”
Developer-focused reactions emphasized sympathy for team members who invested years in the remake. One industry professional wrote: “My thoughts to the devs who worked on it. It’s gutting to hear, but it’s even more devastating to those who worked on it. Hope the time you guys have gained now delivers on quality for the other games.”
What Remains for Prince of Persia
Despite the remake’s cancellation, Ubisoft emphasized that “Prince of Persia as a universe and a legacy continues to matter deeply to us, and this decision does not mean we’re stepping away from the franchise.” The most recent entry, 2023’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, received critical acclaim and mobile ports in 2024. One of Ubisoft’s new Creative Houses will focus on “immersive fantasy worlds and narrative-driven titles” including Prince of Persia, Anno, Rayman, and Beyond Good & Evil.
However, with The Lost Crown’s team already disbanded and the Sands of Time remake scrapped, concrete plans for new Prince of Persia content remain unclear. The franchise joins a growing list of classic Ubisoft IP in uncertain limbo, alongside Splinter Cell (dormant since 2013 despite an announced remake and upcoming anime), Rayman (last mainline entry in 2013), and Beyond Good & Evil 2 (in development since 2008 with no release in sight).
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