Ubisoft has begun issuing refunds for their previously unveiled Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time Remake, but the French game studio maintains that the game is definitely not canceled.

A remake of the classic 2003 action platformer was first announced at Ubisoft Forward in 2020, with a planned release date of January 21, 2021. At the time, the game was being developed jointly by Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune. Though fans were excited to experience this revolutionary title once again on modern hardware, the game drew immediate criticism due to lackluster graphics. Ubisoft responded by stating that the graphics were an art style design choice, made to make the game standout in a sea of other remakes, as well as to embrace its fantasy elements. Gamers didn’t bite, and the game was delayed until March 2021, and then postponed indefinitely to “deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original.”

Ubisoft would later confirm with investors that it hoped to see the game release before April 2022, but that of course did not happen.

On November 7, Ubisoft updated the Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time Remake page on their website with new information on the game, including that development had moved to Ubisoft Montreal, that no other games in the franchise are currently planned to be remade, and that a release date is not currently set.

Also part of this information, Ubisoft shared that because the game does not have a release date, all pre-orders will be canceled and refunded. The full writing can be viewed below:

• State of the game
  • Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is not cancelled. The game is currently in development at Ubisoft Montréal.
• Other remakes in the series
  • Beyond Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time there are currently no plans to remake any other Prince of Persia title. 
• Release date
  • At the moment, a new release date has not been set, we will provide new information on that front when we are ready.
• Pre-order cancellations
  • Since the game currently does not have a release date, existing pre-orders have been cancelled and refunded where applicable.
  • Pre-orders may reopen once a new release date for the game has been announced.
• We will share more details about the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake in future updates.

There has been a little speculation as to why pre-orders are being refunded in addition to there not being a release date. One major reason may be because the game is no longer being developed for the Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, as originally planned. Instead, it is very likely development is being focused on current generation hardware, in particular the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.

Prince of Persia first released in 1989 for the Apple II, though it has made its way to most all consoles in some form or another over the decades. In 2003, a reboot launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, and GameCube titled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; a Game Boy Advance version was also made during this time period. The game was a major hit, becoming one of the defining titles of its era, with acclaimed 3D combat and platforming, as well as a mechanic to manipulate time. The game’s success led to numerous direct sequels. Many of those that worked on the game would go on to make the cult classic Beyond Good & Evil, as well as the massively popular Assassin’s Creed franchise.

A film adaptation by Walt Disney Pictures released in 2010 starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Kingsley, and while it was critically panned and met with controversy over its casting, the movie became the highest-grossing video game adaptation at the time until is was overtaken by 2016’s Warcraft.

Are you one of the eager fans anticipating this remake? Were you disappointed in the graphics of the first iteration of the Remake, or do you believe that Ubisoft reacted to hastily in delaying it? Do you hope that the Remake stays as faithful to the original as possible, or would you like to see all new content? We’d love to know your thoughts on this in the comments below, as well as on our social media pages!

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Sources: Ubisoft, Wallpapers Den