Ubisoft has cancelled six video video games – together with its long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake – as a part of a “main reset” of its operations.
The French developer and writer, identified for widespread video games akin to Murderer’s Creed, Far Cry and Simply Dance, has closed two studios and delayed seven titles as a part of its modifications.
Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot mentioned the transfer would “create the situations for a return to sustainable development”.
The agency’s shares plunged by 33% on Thursday morning following the announcement.
The transfer comes at a time when studios are more and more turning to online game remakes and remasters, with new variations of Tremendous Mario Galaxy, Oblivion and Steel Gear Strong 3 proving widespread in 2025.
So the choice to bin the remake of Sands of Time – which offered tens of millions of copies in 2003 – has left many followers scratching their heads.
Ubisoft has not specified which titles it has discontinued alongside the Prince of Persia remake.
Nevertheless it says amongst them are 4 unannounced titles, together with three based mostly on new mental property, and a cellular sport.
Ubisoft has closed its studios in Stockholm, Sweden and Halifax, Canada as a part of the transfer, which is able to embody restructuring three others.
The builders had been engaged on a brand new mental property (IP) and cellular titles for Murderer’s Creed, respectively.
The closure of Ubisoft Halifax was beforehand introduced in January – the identical week the studio shaped a union.
“Whereas these choices are tough, they’re mandatory for us to construct a extra centered, environment friendly and sustainable organisation over the long run,” Guillemot mentioned.
“Taken collectively, these measures mark a decisive turning level for Ubisoft and replicate our dedication to confront challenges head-on to reshape the Group for the long run”.
Gaming trade analyst Piers Harding-Rolls informed the BBC the transfer indicated the agency was attempting to mitigate threat.
“It is much less dangerous to take care of scale by investing in present large franchises akin to Murderer’s Creed and Rainbow Six than launch completely new IPs and that is mirrored within the cancellation of a variety of video games based mostly on new IPs,” he mentioned.
It’s the second restructure from Ubisoft in subsequent years, after the agency minimize 185 jobs throughout Europe in 2025.
Within the UK, it closed its office in Leamington and restructured one other in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Guillemot mentioned the brand new transfer was partly on account of a aggressive marketplace for triple-A video games – blockbuster titles which price tens of millions to develop and dominate massive studios’ choices.
“On the one hand, the triple-A trade has develop into persistently extra selective and aggressive with rising improvement prices and better challenges in creating manufacturers,” he mentioned in a statement on Wednesday.
Such large choices are more and more going through delays – with Grand Theft Auto VI pushed back for a second time to November 2026.
However Guillemot mentioned regardless of these hurdles, profitable blockbuster video games may carry “extra monetary potential than ever”.
“On this context, right now we’re saying a significant reset constructed to create the situations for a return to sustainable development over time,” he mentioned.
Ubisoft will now give attention to creating open world journey video games – which let gamers freely navigate huge environments – and stay service video games which search common funds from gamers.
The agency mentioned its subsidiary Vantage Studios, created after a €1.25bn ($1.25bn; £1bn) investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent, would goal to show Murderer’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six “into annual billionaire manufacturers”.
