More than five years on from its reveal, and right when fans of the series were expecting it to be shadow-dropped, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake is no more. Ubisoft’s explanation as to why didn’t really explain much at all, so someone claiming to be a developer who worked on the project held a Q&A to try and answer as many questions about the remake’s cancellation as possible.
The alleged developer, who goes by SocramVelmar on Reddit, claims to have been working on the Sands of Time remake, and judging by the in-depth answers they’ve given to some of the questions Prince of Persia fans have about it, they seem to be telling the truth. That said, it’s unclear what exactly their role was on the project, so take what they have to say with a grain of salt.
Why Cancel The Sands Of Time Remake After So Many Years In Development?
One of the most confusing parts of this situation is, after all these years in development, why now? The host of the Q&A was asked exactly that, the fan who posed the question noting that surely, having spent all that time and money, Ubisoft would rather have anything to show for it than nothing at all when the game was seemingly so close to being finished.
Turns out being close to finished and actually ready aren’t necessarily the same thing. The developer replied that it’s not about how much time and money had already been spent, but rather how much more of it would need to be pumped in to get the remake in a position that Ubisoft was happy with it. They refer to the situation as bosses choosing to “stop the bleeding” as opposed to releasing something they don’t have confidence in.
It’s why higher-ups at Ubisoft didn’t have confidence in the Sands of Time remake that might leave Prince of Persia fans shaking their heads. The developer explains that internal challenges, differing opinions, and even the rumors surrounding the game were all contributing factors in its cancellation.
The Sands Of Time Remake Was Simply Never Going To Be What Modern Day Ubisoft Is About
However, it sounds like the Sands of Time simply isn’t the kind of game Ubisoft is interested in right now, as it doesn’t fit the open world formula it has become known for. “There’s been a big push towards large, open-world experiences for a while, and that makes it harder for tighter, linear experiences to find oxygen, even when they’re well-loved,” the developer explains. “Sands of Time was always about pacing and flow, and that doesn’t always line up with where priorities seem to be.”
With all of that in mind, it’s still somewhat baffling that Ubisoft would greenlight a Sands of Time remake and let development continue for this long before pulling the plug. A Sands of Time remake was never going to be a big open-world experience akin to what you expect from Assassin’s Creed. It also sounds like, despite Ubisoft trying to claim otherwise, there might not be a future for the Prince of Persia series, unless there’s a dev team out there talented enough to make it fit Ubisoft’s open-world formula. Even if that’s possible, I’m not sure that’s a game Prince of Persia fans would be all that interested in.…Read more by Josh Coulson