Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has been indefinitely delayed and all pre-orders cancelled, Ubisoft has confirmed.
The remake of the acclaimed 2003 classic has been blighted by delays since its announcement at Ubisoft Forward in 2020.
Originally slated for a 21 January 2021 launch, the game was first pushed back to 18 March 2021. However, in February 2021, The Sands of Time Remake was postponed indefinitely. Ubisoft said it was to enable them to “deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original.”
Ubisoft later clarified it expected Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake to release in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
In May 2022, development of the game was moved from Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune to Ubisoft Montreal. But then a month later, the company told IGN; “we are no longer targeting a FY23 release anymore and the game has been delisted.”
In a new update on 7 November 2022, Ubisoft reaffirmed that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake had not been cancelled – just indefinitely delayed once again.
They also clarified that; “Since the game currently does not have a release date, existing pre-orders have been cancelled and refunded where applicable.”
Interestingly, the update goes on to say, “Pre-orders may reopen once a new release date for the game has been announced.” The use of the word “may” implies pre-orders might not become available again at all, which would mean the game had been cancelled.
Besides changing development studio, Ubisoft hasn’t shared details on the reasons for the game’s numerous delays.
However, it is likely that the real reason stems from the negative reception to The Sounds of Time Remake‘s announcement.
While the original was a classic and there is appetite for a remake, fans didn’t take kindly to the remake’s trailer.
The graphics were poor and many fans shared their disappointment online.
If the real reason for the studio change and the plethora of delays is to make a game fans will be happy with, that is not a bad thing.
However, as of now, the long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is a considerable way off. And fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a release any time soon.
Are you disappointed with this news? Did you like the look of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
