In a move that has left many fans bewildered, Ubisoft, the French video game developer and publisher, has announced the cancellation of six games, including the long-awaited remake of the classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This decision is part of a “major reset” of the company’s operations, which will also see the closure of two studios and the delay of seven other titles.
Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, stated that these measures are necessary to “create the conditions for a return to sustainable growth” in the face of a highly competitive and costly triple-A game development landscape. The company’s shares plummeted by 33% on Thursday following the announcement.
The move comes at a time when the gaming industry is increasingly turning to remakes and remasters, with popular titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Oblivion, and Metal Gear Solid 3 proving successful in 2025. The decision to cancel the Prince of Persia remake, which sold millions of copies in 2003, has left many fans scratching their heads.
Ubisoft has not specified which other titles have been discontinued, but the company says four unannounced projects, including three based on new intellectual property and a mobile game, have been scrapped. The studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and Halifax, Canada, have been closed as part of the restructuring, and three other studios will undergo further reorganization.
Industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls told the BBC that Ubisoft’s actions indicate a shift towards mitigating risk by focusing on existing, successful franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six, rather than investing in entirely new intellectual properties.
This is the second major restructuring for Ubisoft in as many years, following the company’s decision to cut 185 jobs across Europe in 2025. In the UK, the company closed its office in Leamington and restructured another in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Guillemot cited the competitive nature of the triple-A game market, with rising development costs and greater challenges in creating successful new brands, as a key factor behind the company’s decision. He also acknowledged the increasing delays affecting blockbuster games, such as the second postponement of Grand Theft Auto VI to November 2026.
Despite these challenges, Guillemot believes that successful triple-A titles can still bring “more financial potential than ever.” To that end, Ubisoft will now focus on developing open-world adventure games and live-service titles that generate regular revenue from players.
The company’s subsidiary, Vantage Studios, which received a €1.25 billion investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent, will aim to turn Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six into “annual billion-dollar brands.”
