The Prince Returns… Eventually
Ubisoft wants you to know one thing: the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is not dead. It’s just… meditating in a secret chamber somewhere, sipping some Time Juice. In a surprise-but-not-really update this week, Ubisoft reassured fans that the long-delayed remake is still on track for a 2026 release. That’s right — six years after it was first announced.
What Got Us Here: A Saga of Sand and Delays
Let’s rewind the dagger a bit. The remake was originally announced way back in September 2020, with a bold January 2021 release window. Fans were hyped, and then… they saw the reveal trailer. Yikes. The graphics looked like they fell out of a PS3, the animations were stiffer than the Prince’s hair gel, and the whole thing felt rushed.
Ubisoft heard the backlash loud and clear. The game was delayed — not once, not twice, but indefinitely. Eventually, in 2022, the project was pulled from Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai and handed to Ubisoft Montréal, the original studio behind the classic 2003 game. A full reboot began.
Fast forward to Ubisoft Forward 2024, and the team finally acknowledged a new target: 2026. Now in June 2025, they’ve taken to social media again, reaffirming that the sands are still flowing (slowly) in the right direction.
“We’re still deep in the game — exploring, building, and ensuring the sands move with purpose,” Ubisoft tweeted on June 16.
Translation: “Please stop asking. We’re working on it.”
So When in 2026?
According to Ubisoft’s FY2025–2026 earnings call, the game is expected to launch by March 31, 2026, making it one of the fiscal year’s tentpole releases. While no hard month was given, industry sleuths suspect a Q1 2026 release, likely between January and March.
Of course, given Ubisoft’s track record lately (cough Skull & Bones cough), fans are right to be skeptical. But insiders say Ubisoft Montréal has a much tighter grip on this remake, aiming for a faithful yet modern refresh.
Why This Remake Still Matters
If you grew up on PS2, The Sands of Time wasn’t just a game — it was a vibe. Acrobatic parkour, time-rewind mechanics, witty narration, and a badass prince with a magic dagger? Iconic. The 2003 classic redefined action-adventure games before Assassin’s Creed even existed (ironically, from the same studio).
This remake has a ton riding on it:
- Nostalgia juice for old-school fans.
- A chance to introduce Gen Z to the Prince that came before Nathan Drake.
- Redemption for Ubisoft’s rocky remake history.
Plus, with the recent success of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (a sleeper hit in early 2024), the franchise suddenly feels relevant again. This remake could be Ubisoft’s next big win — if they stick the landing.
Still No Gameplay. Should We Be Worried?
Honestly? A little. It’s been five years since the reveal and we still haven’t seen a single updated frame of gameplay. No trailer. No screenshots. Not even a blurry leak. The latest Ubisoft Forward skipped it entirely, focusing instead on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws.
Fans are rightfully antsy. A remake this big and this delayed should be making a bigger splash by now. The silence has fueled rumors that the project may be quietly shelved or scaled back, but Ubisoft insists otherwise.
The Big Unknowns
A few questions still haunt the desert:
- Will Yuri Lowenthal return to voice the Prince?
- Is Jordan Mechner, the original creator, still involved in any capacity?
- How much of the game is being reimagined vs. faithfully recreated?
All we know is Ubisoft Montréal is treating this as a ground-up rebuild, with updated visuals, combat tweaks, and likely modern accessibility features. They’ve also said the game will stick to the original story.
Final Thoughts: We’re Hopeful… Cautiously
Ubisoft has a real shot here to pull a Resident Evil 2 Remake move — honoring the past while refreshing it for a new era. But they’ve got to stop playing coy and show us something soon. Even just a 30-second tease with updated sand physics would go a long way.
Until then, we wait. And meme. And hope the Prince doesn’t trip over his own dagger again.
