In 2020, Ubisoft announced that the legendary action-adventure Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was to receive a remake. After 5 years of waiting, the project has now been canceled.
In a new report from Ubisoft (via globeneswire.com), the company presented its strategy for the future. They discussed not only upcoming strategies for well-known franchises, but also announced that 6 games have been canceled.
Among them is the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which was already announced in 2020. Additionally, 4 unannounced games, 3 of them from completely new franchises, and one mobile title are said to have been canceled.
The reason given is that the 6 games do not meet the new, improved quality standards, as well as the stricter criteria for prioritizing the portfolio at the corporate level.
By comparison, only Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Just Dance 2026 and Anno 117 were released as completely new titles in 2025. The remaining releases were ports or full releases of early access games.
In the course of this, it is also mentioned that seven titles currently in development will be postponed, including one that was planned for the 2026 fiscal year.
New development structure
What strategy is Ubisoft referring to in the report? The report mainly deals with structural changes within the company. The aim is to establish a new operating model centred around five creative houses for different genres. The intention is to simplify the organisation and adopt a decentralised model.
The individual houses will have full financial ownership and account for economic performance.
In the context of the 5 creative houses
, they also announced the associated franchises.
- House 1 (Vantage Studios) will focus on the company’s biggest franchises to expand them. These include Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
- House 2 will deal with
competitive and cooperative shooter experiences
. The brands mentioned are: The Division, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon. - House 3 is dedicated to
live experiences
. Examples include: For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, and Skull & Bones. - For House 4, the franchises are: Anno, Might and Magic, Rayman, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good and Evil. The focus here is on
immersive fantasy worlds and narrative universes
. - House 5 should focus on casual gamers (including mobile gaming). This includes the following brands: Just Dance, Idle Miner Tycoon, Ketchapp, Hungry Shark, Invincible: Guardian of the Globe, Uno, and Hasbro.
In the course of this, it is also mentioned that four new IPs are currently in development, including March of Giants, a 4-on-4 MOBA. The company plans to announce which division the new games will fall under at a later date.
Will any studios be closed? At the beginning of the report, there is a lengthy quote from Yves Guillemot, the founder and CEO of Ubisoft. In it, he talks about the new creative houses, but also mentions that some studios will be closed:
To put the Creative Houses in the best conditions to succeed, we decided to refocus our portfolio with a meaningfully revised 3-year roadmap and accelerate our cost reductions initiatives to rightsize the organization. We will discontinue several projects currently in development and provide additional time to certain games, to ensure enhanced quality and maximize long term value. We will also selectively close several studios and continue restructurings throughout the Group. While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary for us to build a more focused, efficient and sustainable organization over the long term.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is another game from Ubisoft that was announced a very long time ago. Fans have been waiting for the game since 2008. Unlike Prince of Persia, it seems that development is still ongoing. At least, the title is not mentioned in the reporting. In early January, Ubisoft shut down a developer studio: Ubisoft closes the studio behind Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, forcing over 70 employees to look for new jobs
