The remake to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time lives on, says Ubisoft. It’s just been rebooted.
On Twitter, the developer said it was “very much alive,” but said it wouldn’t appear at its Ubisoft Forward event in June. Looking at the game’s FAQ page further reveals that it’s been rewound back to the conception phase.
As the developer notes, that means the team is being built up, prototypes are being made, and gameplay elements are being tested.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time first released in 2003 as a reboot of Jordan Mechner’s 1989 series. Its remake was announced in 2020 for a date the following year, then was delayed to the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The game was indefinitely delayed in June 2022, after developer duties switched from the Mumbai and Pune studios to Ubisoft Montreal.
Following the indefinite delay of the remake, pre-orders were cancelled and Ubisoft issued refunds to those affected by the delay. Per the FAQ, refunds can still be given where applicable.
Outside of its remake, Sands of Time has been recognized as one of the best video games of all time. It spawned two sequels, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, along with a live-action film adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Ubisoft hits another rough patch as 2023 is almost halfway done
Throughout the year, Ubisoft has had trouble finding its footing. Last week, it reported declines in several financial areas such as revenue and operations.
Long-lasting titles such as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have grown in terms of player retention, but the studio has only released a handful of small or medium-sized games this year. Premium titles such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage are expected to come later in the year.
Others, like Skull & Bones or Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, have a vague window of the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Beyond Sands of Time, Ubisoft is also developing a reboot of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. As of last October, its director David Grivel departed the company after an 11-year tenure.
Earlier this year, the Prince of Persia franchise’s original creator Jordan Mechner did a fascinating retrospective on the box art for the 1989 Prince of Persia game, and how it contributed to the title’s success.