00:00What's up everyone? Today we've got some heavy news to talk about because Ubisoft has officially cancelled the Prince of Persia The Sands of Time remake, a project that has been in development hell for years and one that a lot of fans, including myself, were all quietly hoping would eventually turn into something special.
00:17The remake was first announced back in 2020 and was supposed to be a modern reimagining of one of the most beloved action adventure games of all time. A game that helped define a generation and laid the groundwork for so many mechanics we now take for granted in gaming. From the very start though, things felt shaky. The reveal trailer was met with a lot of criticism, especially about the visuals and animations, and instead of the excitement you usually see around a remake of a classic, there was concern and disappointment.
00:45Ubisoft promised improvements, delays followed, development studios were changed, and for years the project just sort of existed in this strange limbo where it wasn't cancelled but it also wasn't moving forward in any meaningful, visible way.
01:00Now we finally have the answer, and that answer is that the remake is done. It's over. And Ubisoft has decided to walk away from it entirely as part of a much larger restructuring inside the company.
01:11The cancellation isn't just about Prince of Persia though, and that's an important thing to understand. Ubisoft is going through a massive internal reset right now. They're cutting projects, reorganizing teams, shifting focus, and trying to stabilize a company that has been struggling with delays, inconsistent releases, and declining confidence from both fans and investors.
01:32The Sands of Time remake became a symbol of all those problems. It was a project that kept absorbing time and resources without showing meaningful progress, and at some point Ubisoft had to decide whether continuing was worth the cost.
01:45According to their own statements, the remake simply wasn't meeting their quality expectations and would have required even more time, more money, and more restructuring to get it where they wanted it to be.
01:56Instead of pushing forward and potentially releasing something that might disappoint fans and damage the legacy of the original, they chose to cancel it outright.
02:04That's a tough decision, and it hurts, but from a business perspective, it makes sense when you look at how long this project had already been struggling.
02:13What makes this thing even more is what Prince of Persia represents.
02:16Sands of Time isn't just another old game, it's a landmark title. It gave a fluid parkour movement before parkour was a standard feature in action games.
02:25It introduced time manipulation as a core mechanic in a way that felt innovative and meaningful. It had strong storytelling, memorable characters, and a sense of adventure that still holds up today.
02:36For many players, this was the introduction to cinematic action-adventure games, and it directly influenced franchises like Assassin's Creed, which ironically went on to become Ubisoft's biggest success.
02:47So when Ubisoft cancels a remake of Sands of Time, it feels like more than just losing a game, it feels like losing a chance to properly honor one of their most important legacies.
02:59At the same time, there's a strange sense of relief mixed in with the disappointment, because if we're being honest, this remake never inspired full confidence.
03:07Every update felt uncertain. Every delay made it harder to believe that the final product would truly do justice to the original.
03:15There was always that fear that the remake would launch half-baked, rushed, or technically flawed, and that it would end up remembered as another example of how not to handle classic.
03:24Cancelling it now at least prevents that outcome. It stops the bleeding. It keeps Sands of Time from becoming associated with a failed remake, rather than the masterpiece it already is.
03:35In a weird way, cancellation protects the legacy of the original game.
03:40Now, this doesn't mean Prince of Persia as a franchise is dead. Ubisoft has made it clear that the universe still matters to them.
03:47We've already seen signs of life with projects like The Lost Crown, which took the series in a different direction, and reminded people that Prince of Persia can still be creative and relevant.
03:57The cancellation of the Sands of Time remake just means that this specific vision, this specific project is over. It opens the door for something new, something potentially better planned, and more carefully executed in the future.
04:10Whether that future comes soon or years from now is anyone's guess, but the franchise itself still has value and Ubisoft knows that.
04:19It's also worth talking about how this reflects the broader state of the gaming industry. We're seeing more and more examples of ambitious projects being cancelled after years of development.
04:29Budgets are bigger than ever, expectations are higher than ever, and companies are becoming less willing to gamble on projects that don't show strong potential for success.
04:38Remakes especially are risky. Fans have extremely high standards because the originals are so beloved. If you don't improve enough, you're accused of being lazy. If you change too much, you're accused of betraying the original.
04:50It's a tightrope walk, and Sands of Time was stuck on that rope for years without finding its balance.
04:57For longtime fans, the news is heartbreaking. A lot of us grew up with Prince of Persia. We imagined what those environments would look like with modern lighting, modern animation, and refined controls.
05:08We wanted to relive the story with today's technology, and now that dream is gone, at least in this form.
05:14But at the same time, maybe this is an opportunity for Ubisoft to go back to the drawing board and ask what Prince of Persia should be in the modern era, rather than trying to recreate something from the past that they couldn't quite get right.
05:26So where does this leave us? It leaves us with the original Sands of Time still standing tall, untouched, and undefeated.
05:33It leaves us with a reminder of how hard it is just to remake a classic.
05:37And it leaves us hoping that if Ubisoft ever tries again, they do it with a clear vision, a strong team, and the time and resources needed to truly honor what made the original so special.
05:47Sometimes cancellation isn't just failure, sometimes it's an admission that something wasn't working, and a chance to do better next time.
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