Ubisoft has canceled six video games – including the long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake – as part of a “major reset” of its operations.
The French developer and publisher, known for popular games such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Just Dance, closed two studios and delayed seven titles as part of its changes.
Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot said the move would “create the conditions for a return to sustainable growth”.
The company’s shares fell 33% on Thursday morning after the announcement.
The move comes at a time when studios are increasingly turning to video game remakes and remasters, with new versions of Super Mario Galaxy, Oblivion and Metal Gear Solid 3 proving popular in 2025.
So the decision to bin the Sands of Time remake – which sold millions of copies in 2003 – left many fans scratching their heads.
Ubisoft has not specified which titles it is discontinuing along with the Prince of Persia remake.
But it says that among them are four unannounced titles, including three based on new intellectual property, and a mobile game.
Ubisoft is closing its studios in Stockholm, Sweden and Halifax, Canada as part of the move, which will include restructuring three others.
The developers are working on a new intellectual property (IP) and mobile titles for Assassin’s Creed, respectively.
The closure of Ubisoft Halifax was previously announced in January – the same week the studio formed a union.
“While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary for us to build a more focused, efficient and sustainable organization in the long term,” said Guillemot.
“Together, these steps mark a decisive turning point for Ubisoft and demonstrate our determination to face challenges head-on in order to transform the Group in the long term”.
Gambling industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls told the BBC that the move shows the company is trying to reduce risk.
“It’s less risky to maintain scale by investing in existing big franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six than launching entirely new IPs and that’s reflected in the cancellation of many games based on new IPs,” he said.
This is the second restructuring from Ubisoft in recent years, after the company cut 185 jobs across Europe in 2025.
In the UK, it is closed its Leamington office and restructured another in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Guillemot said the new move is partly due to a competitive market for triple-A games – blockbuster titles that cost millions to develop and dominate the offerings of major studios.
“On the one hand, the triple-A industry is becoming increasingly selective and competitive with rising development costs and more challenges in creating brands,” he said. in a statement on Wednesday.
Such large offerings are increasingly facing delays – others Grand Theft Auto VI returns for a second time until November 2026.
But Guillemot says despite these obstacles, successful blockbuster games can bring “more financial potential than ever”.
“In this context, today we are announcing a major reset designed to create the conditions for the return of sustainable growth over time,” he said.
Ubisoft will now focus on developing open-world adventure games – which allow players to freely navigate vast environments – and live service games that seek regular payments from players.
The company said its subsidiary Vantage Studios, was created afterwards a €1.25bn ($1.25bn; £1bn) investment from Chinese tech giant Tencentwill aim to turn Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six “into annual billionaire brands”.