Ubisoft has confirmed it’s canceling six games currently in development, including the long-troubled remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The publisher is also delaying seven other projects as part of what it’s calling a major organizational reset aimed at reshaping how the company builds and releases games.
According to a briefing shared with select media and reported by Video Games Chronicle, Ubisoft says the reset will focus on three main areas: a new operating model, a refocused portfolio with a revised three-year roadmap, and what it describes as “rightsizing” the organization. In simpler terms, the company is restructuring how teams work, narrowing what kinds of games it prioritizes, and trimming parts of the business that no longer fit its plans.
In a press statement, Ubisoft pointed to rising development costs, tougher competition in shooters, and a more selective AAA market as key reasons for the shift. While the company says blockbuster games can still be hugely profitable, it believes its current structure isn’t efficient enough to consistently deliver them at sustainable costs. So, instead, it’s trying to rethink both how it makes games and what kinds of projects it greenlights.
Emmanuel Umahi
A big part of this change is a new studio structure built around five “creative houses,” each focused on specific franchises and genres. These groups including Ubisoft’s newer subsidiary, Vantage Studios will concentrate mainly on open-world adventures and live-service-style experiences, supported by deeper specialization, new tech investments, and expanded use of player-facing generative AI. This new setup is expected to roll out in early April.
One of the biggest casualties of this reset is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. First announced back in September 2020 with a planned 2021 release, the project struggled almost immediately. After multiple delays and heavy criticism of its early visuals, development moved from Ubisoft’s studios in Mumbai and Pune to Ubisoft Montreal in 2022. The game resurfaced in 2024 with a 2026 launch window, and as recently as June 2025, Ubisoft reassured fans it was still in development. Now, it’s officially canceled.
Ubisoft also confirmed it has ended development on four unannounced games three new IPs and one mobile title saying they no longer meet the company’s updated quality and portfolio standards. On top of that, seven other projects have been delayed to give teams more time to meet “enhanced quality benchmarks.” One of those, originally scheduled for Ubisoft’s 2026 fiscal year, has now slipped into FY 2027.
— Prince of Persia™ (@princeofpersia) January 21, 2026
While Ubisoft hasn’t named the delayed games, reports suggest one of them could be the long-rumoured remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which briefly appeared on PEGI’s ratings site in December under the name Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Ubisoft also reiterated that it has four new IPs in development, including March of Giants, a MOBA it acquired from Amazon Games last month.
This shake-up follows a rough stretch for the publisher, which has been restructuring over the past year after underwhelming launches like Star Wars Outlaws. In 2025, Ubisoft created Vantage Studios to oversee major franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry. More recently, it shut down Ubisoft Halifax and proposed layoffs at The Division developer Massive Entertainment, after making similar moves at its RedLynx and Abu Dhabi studios.
The Takeaway
Ubisoft’s cancellation of the Prince of Persia remake signals a deeper shift in how the company approaches game development, prioritizing fewer projects with tighter focus and higher expected returns. While this could mean more polished releases in the long run, it also reflects how risky and expensive AAA development has become even for legacy franchises with built-in fanbases.
Emmanuel Umahi
