The remaster of *Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time* has been officially canceled today. At the same time, Ubisoft announced that the company is undergoing a major organizational, operational, and portfolio restructuring. A total of six games have been canceled, seven projects have been delayed, and two studios will be closed. The company also stated that it had conducted a comprehensive review of its content pipeline over the past two months. The official *Prince of Persia* account issued a statement describing this as a difficult decision, and players have reacted with considerable anger.
After six years of turbulent development, the *Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time* remake was announced on September 10, 2020, at the Ubisoft Forward event.It had previously been in development for two and a half years at Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai in India. The original release date was set for January 21, 2021, but due to overwhelmingly negative reactions to the trailer, it was announced on December 8, 2020, that the release would be delayed to March 18, 2021. However, on February 5, 2021, the release date was postponed indefinitely.In 2023, it was announced that development would be taken over by Ubisoft Montreal, the studio behind the 2003 original *Splinter Cell: Shadow of the Sand*. In 2024, Ubisoft stated that the Toronto studio, which had developed *Far Cry 5* and *Watch Dogs: Legion*, would collaborate on the project. In June 2024, Ubisoft Montreal announced that the game would be released in 2026.Last year, they clarified that the game was scheduled for release before the end of the current fiscal year. In other words, prior to today’s announcement of the project’s cancellation, players had expected a release by March 2026. The marketing campaign for the *Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag* remaster, which was originally slated to follow *Prince of Persia*, has now also been postponed.
Ubisoft also announced the delay of seven other games, citing the need to "ensure that quality standards are fully met." Among them is an unannounced title originally scheduled for release in 2026, which has now been pushed back to 2027.According to a report by Tom Henderson, the remastered version of *Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag* was originally scheduled for a digital release on March 19, 2026, but has now been delayed by a year. It is virtually certain that this is the game Ubisoft had planned to announce this year.
Ubisoft said in a press release that this major restructuring is part of a strategic shift aimed at focusing on live services and open-world games.
Apart from the *Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time* remake, Ubisoft has not confirmed any other canceled games.However, Ubisoft did mention that four unannounced games—including three new IPs and one mobile game—were canceled for failing to meet the company’s new standards. Ubisoft also noted that five new creative studios will lead game development, the first of which is Vantage Studios, a subsidiary partially owned by Tencent that was established last year to oversee *Rainbow Six*, *Assassin’s Creed*, and *Far Cry*. The other four creative studios, each focusing on different areas, are as follows:
Creative Studio 2: Focuses on competitive and cooperative shooting experiences, including *The Division*, *Ghost Recon*, and *Splinter Cell*.
Creative Studio 3: Dedicated to operating a curated selection of outstanding live-service games, including For Honor, The Crew, Extreme Nation, Valhalla, and Skull & Bones.
Creative Studio 4: Focuses on immersive fantasy worlds and narrative-driven universes, including: *Anno*, *Might and Magic*, *Rayman*, *Prince of Persia*, and *Beyond Good & Evil*.
Creative Studio 5: Focused on reclaiming a foothold in the casual and family-friendly game market, including *Just Dance*, *UNO*, *Ninja Go: Global Guardians*, and Hasbro-related IPs.
Ubisoft explained that today’s announcement introduces a brand-new value creation model: a player-centric organizational structure built around creative genres, relying on integrated business units to enable faster, more decentralized decision-making and a greater ability to adapt quickly to player expectations.Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot also noted that the selectivity of the AAA gaming industry, rising development costs, and greater challenges in brand building are also reasons behind Ubisoft’s new business strategy. Each creative studio is built around a clear genre and brand focus, with full responsibility and financial autonomy, led by a dedicated leadership team.This is a radical move, relying on a more decentralized creative organization with faster decision-making, while each creative studio is supported and served by top-tier cross-functional core services. Ubisoft is also accelerating its cost-cutting efforts, with plans to reduce fixed costs by an additional €200 million over the next two years.
The company did not directly comment on the number of layoffs that may result from the restructuring and cutbacks, but regarding the canceled projects, CFO Frédéric
Dugay stated, “Some people will refocus on other major projects, while others may leave the company.”This restructuring will have a significant impact on Ubisoft’s short-term financial trajectory, particularly for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, but Guillemot believes this realignment will strengthen the company, enabling it to achieve sustainable growth and generate strong cash flow. He believes Ubisoft is entering a new phase—one aimed at reclaiming creative leadership and creating long-term value for players and stakeholders.
原创文章，作者：刘霖，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/195354
