Ubisoft says Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is now in the ‘conception’ phase

The remake is alive but skipping Ubisoft Forward

Ubisoft is surfacing with an update on the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. The project is still ongoing, but sounds like it has been effectively taken back to the drawing board at Ubisoft Montreal.

In a new update, Ubisoft says the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is “very much alive” and in the “conception” phase of development. Ubisoft Montreal took over development on the project from Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai last year.

Here’s producer Jean-Francois Naud on the current status of the remake:

“In terms of the development stage, we’re in conception right now. Since we took over the project, we’ve been looking at feedback from the community and finding our own way of delivering the game. Now, we’re building up the team, defining the priorities, putting prototypes together, testing elements, and looking at how we can include community feedback in the development as well. It’s still in an early stage, and players should not expect to hear more about the game this year, but rest assured that we’re all putting our strengths and heart into this project.”

Alongside that, in an FAQ on the remake’s status, Ubisoft confirms there’s no plans to remake any other Prince of Persia games. It also confirms there’s no release date set and, as said last year, existing pre-orders have been canceled and refunded where applicable. Basically, it seems like it’s still in very early stages.

If I could turn back time

Since it was first announced in 2020, the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has been a bit rocky. It’s had several delays, alongside the shift from its previous studios to Ubisoft Montreal.

Some of the anxiety around Prince of Persia also feels like it’s stemming from Ubisoft’s current state. The publisher has canceled several projects, and seen games like Skull & Bones and Beyond Good & Evil 2 sit on the backburner for quite some time.

There’s also been some unrest at the publisher, and recent layoffs too. All this is to say, the upcoming Ubisoft Forward—which Prince of Persia will be skipping—seems like it’s time for the publisher to try and chart its new course.