Ubisoft has announced some bad news for any Prince of Persia fans. A Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has been stuck in “development hell” for quite some time, with little to no hope of it ever being released. Ubisoft’s latest update does not bode well for the future of the series.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was released in November 2003. It was an immediate hit among fans and critics praised Sands of Time’s engaging acrobatic combat and time rewind feature that could erase mistakes moments after they occurred. Its success spawned a series of sequels, including 2004’s Warrior Within and 2007’s The Two Thrones. A reboot was released in 2008 simply titled Prince of Persia. The series went dormant until 2020 when Ubisoft announced a Sands of Time remake to be released in 2021. The game was then pushed back, and now its future, and the future of its sequels, is in jeopardy.
In an article published on the official Ubisoft website, the publisher directly addressed a handful of the most common questions regarding a Sands of Time remake and potential remakes of its sequels. Ubisoft firmly stated that there are currently no plans to remake any other Prince of Persia game besides The Sands of Time as previously announced. This is no doubt deals a blow to any gamer who had hopes of playing a modern interpretation of the classic PS2 trilogy. Ubisoft has since canceled and refunded Prince of Persia remake preorders.
Ubisoft has previously reiterated to its commitment to a Prince of Persia remake, and the recent post on its website makes clear that it is solely focusing on Sands of Time. Though, even that project is on shaky ground. Originally set to be released in January 2021, the Sands of Time remake release date was eventually pushed back to March 2021. It was eventually postponed indefinitely. At least one cause for the indefinite delay could be lackluster fan reaction to the remake’s trailer, which many deemed as visually unappealing and failed to capture the magic and wonder of the original. Initially co-developed by Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune, both based in India, the remake project has since been shifted over to Ubisoft Montreal, the developer behind the original 2003 release of Sands of Time.
It's safe to say that the troubled development of the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has had a ripple effect on any plans for the series Ubisoft may have had in the cards. If it is unable to properly develop a Sands of Time remake that meets its own internal standards and the standards of longtime fans of this revolutionary series, then there’s no way Ubisoft would be able to properly honor the legacy of its sequels. It all starts with the oft-delayed Sands of Time remake, which, according to Ubisoft, currently has no release date.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is in development.
Source: Ubisoft