Ubisoft has cancelled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake after years of development hell.
This cancellation comes as part of a sweeping company reorganization that includes six game cancellations, layoffs, studio closures, and a restructuring of Ubisoft’s entire development pipeline into five “Creative Houses.”
According to Variety’s Jenifer Maas, Ubisoft wasn’t happy with the state of the remake and decided to kill it during the restructuring. This contradicts recent rumors claiming the game was finished and set for a January 16 release.
The company is targeting $200m in near-term cost savings through these cuts. At least one studio has already closed, with reports pointing to Ubisoft Halifax shutting down shortly after its workforce unionized.
Ubisoft’s new structure divides development into five specialized groups. The first focuses on turning Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six into annual billion-dollar franchises. The second handles competitive shooters like The Division and Ghost Recon. The third manages live-service games including For Honor and Skull & Bones. The fourth oversees narrative franchises like Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil. The fifth handles casual titles like Just Dance.
The Sands of Time remake was announced in 2020 with a 2021 release target. Players immediately criticized the reveal trailer for poor visuals. Ubisoft delayed the game multiple times and eventually moved it between different development teams in what appeared to be a full reboot.
After years of silence and false starts, the remake never recovered. The cancellation marks another high-profile failure for Ubisoft, which has struggled with rising development costs and extended production timelines across its portfolio.
The restructuring also includes a mandatory return to five-day in-office work for all Ubisoft studios, with limited work-from-home allowances.
