Ubisoft axes ‘Prince of Persia: Sands of Time’ remake, announces major company restructure

Ubisoft has canceled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time The remake, as well as five other games, were removed. Announced on Wednesday, the cancellations come as part of a major company restructuring aimed at boosting its growth and improving its finances — with some cost cutting already being achieved through layoffs.

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Prince of Persia: sands of time The remake was initially scheduled to launch on January 21, 2021, when it was first announced in 2020. That date came and went, with Ubisoft announcing several delays before moving development of the game from its Mumbai and Pune studios to Montreal in 2022. Unfortunately, delays continued even after the change in studios, with Ubisoft claiming until 2024 sands of time Will come in 2026.

It will no longer be released, with Ubisoft ceasing production of the game six years after its announcement.

A statement posted by the official said, “Although the project had real potential, we were not able to reach the level of quality you deserve, and continuing it would require more time and investment than we could responsibly do.” prince of persia X account on Wednesday.

“Prince of Persia matters deeply to us as a universe and legacy, and this decision does not mean we are walking away from the franchise.”

Fans have reacted with disappointment and have taken to social media to express their disappointment. Wednesday’s announcement left many feeling bittersweet, as they expected sands of time remake since its announcement half a decade ago.

Ubisoft announces massive restructuring

sands of timeThe cancellation comes as part of a significant structural shift at Ubisoft. Revising its three-year roadmap, the company is refocusing on open-world and live service games, and plans to make “accelerated investments behind player-facing generative AI”.

A key part of Ubisoft’s restructuring is its new operating model, which focuses on five distinct “creative houses”. These new units within the company would focus on a different game genre, and take care of the production and publishing of titles themselves. Ubisoft is also setting up two new internal organizations, Creative Network and Core Services, which will provide production support to all five Houses.

“Everyone [Creative House] “It is built around a clear style and brand focus, with full responsibility and financial ownership, led by dedicated leadership teams,” said Yves Guillemot, founder and CEO of Ubisoft.

CH1 aka Vantage Studios will be dedicated to growing the biggest franchises like Ubisoft assassin’s creed, totally differentAnd Rainbow Six. CH2 will focus on competitive and cooperative shooters like blockGhost Recon, And splinter Cell. CH3 will be in charge of live games like for respectcrew, And skull and bones. CH4 will focus on games that are narrative-based or take place in a fantasy world Anno, Ramon, Beyond Good and Evil, And yes, prince of persia. Finally, CH5 will cater to casual and family-friendly brands just DanceUno, And Hasbro.

However, not all of Ubisoft’s games will get a chance to visit one of these Houses sands of time And five other titles have been cancelled—a “strategic decision to refocus its portfolio” following a review of its content pipeline. Four of the canceled titles had not yet been announced, three of which were brand new IPs. According to Ubisoft, six games were removed because they “did not meet the new enhanced quality as well as more selective portfolio prioritization criteria.”

Guillemot said that although Ubisoft’s restructuring will have a significant impact on its finances over the next two years, he expects it to come out stronger on the other side. Unfortunately, not all of its employees will be present to appreciate it. The company has made sustained layoffs over the past few years in an effort to cut costs, reducing its headcount from about 21,000 to 17,097 in 2022, according to its earnings call last November.

Further layoffs are expected as Ubisoft continues its cost-cutting program in earnest, with its studios in Halifax and Stockholm already closed. The company laid off a further 29 employees earlier this month after restructuring its Abu Dhabi studio, and confirmed it expected to cut 55 jobs from its Massive and Stockholm studios.





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