Ubisoft Cancels Six Games, Including Prince of Persia, and Shuts Down Studios

Ubisoft has made the significant decision to cancel six of its video game projects, among which is the highly anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This action is part of a broader strategy aimed at resetting the company’s operations.

The renowned French gaming company, celebrated for franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Just Dance, has also closed two of its studios while postponing the release of seven upcoming titles. According to Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, this strategic overhaul is intended to lay the groundwork for a return to sustainable growth.

Following the announcement, Ubisoft’s stock experienced a sharp decline, plummeting 33% on Thursday morning. This decision comes amid a trend in the gaming industry where many studios are revisiting classic titles, with recent remakes of Super Mario Galaxy, Oblivion, and Metal Gear Solid 3 gaining considerable traction in 2025.

The cancellation of the Sands of Time remake, which originally sold millions upon its release in 2003, has puzzled many fans. Although Ubisoft has not revealed the specific titles that have been scrapped alongside the Prince of Persia project, it has indicated that four of them were unannounced, including three based on new intellectual properties and one mobile game.

As part of this restructuring, Ubisoft has shuttered its studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and Halifax, Canada. Additionally, three other studios will undergo restructuring. The developers at these locations were engaged in creating new intellectual properties and mobile games for the Assassin’s Creed series.

The closure of Ubisoft Halifax was foreshadowed in January, coinciding with the formation of a union within the studio. Guillemot acknowledged the difficulty of these choices but emphasized their necessity in creating a more streamlined and effective organization for the future.

“While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary for us to build a more focused, efficient and sustainable organisation over the long term,” Guillemot stated.

Industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls remarked that this shift suggests Ubisoft is aiming to reduce risk. He noted that maintaining investment in established franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six is less risky than launching entirely new intellectual properties, which is evident in the cancellation of multiple games tied to new IPs.

This restructuring marks Ubisoft’s second major overhaul in recent years, having previously laid off 185 employees across Europe in 2025. In the UK, the company closed its Leamington office and restructured its Newcastle-upon-Tyne location.

The CEO pointed out that this strategic pivot is largely influenced by an increasingly competitive landscape for triple-A titles, which require substantial investment and dominate major studios’ portfolios. He acknowledged the ongoing challenges posed by rising development costs and the difficulty of establishing new brands.

Delays are becoming more common for significant releases, as evidenced by the second postponement of Grand Theft Auto VI, now scheduled for November 2026. However, Guillemot remains optimistic, stating that successful blockbuster games hold more financial promise than ever.

“In this context, today we are announcing a major reset built to create the conditions for a return to sustainable growth over time,” he added.

Moving forward, Ubisoft intends to concentrate on developing open-world adventure games that allow players to explore expansive environments freely, as well as live service games that encourage ongoing payments from players. Furthermore, the company announced that its subsidiary, Vantage Studios, established following a €1.25 billion investment from Tencent, aims to transform franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six into annual billion-dollar brands.

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