Ubisoft cancels six games including Prince of Persia and closes studios

Prince of Persia cancellation & remake challenges

• Many are disappointed the Sands of Time remake was shelved, especially after an ESRB rating suggested it was far along.
• People ask what happens to that work; replies say most content is either scrapped, occasionally reused for other projects, or only surfaces via leaks.
• Some argue this should have been “a layup” since design and story were done, calling the failure evidence of a AAA competency crisis.
• Others note the distinction between a simple “remaster” and a full “remake,” arguing remakes are harder than fans assume, but still find the years-long timeline alarming.

Ubisoft’s strategic focus and game homogenization

• Commenters see Ubisoft doubling down on open-world and live-service titles, essentially more Assassin’s Creed/Far Cry–style games with microtransactions.
• Many complain that Ubisoft games now feel interchangeable: large maps, enemy-tagging drones/birds, checklist crafting, similar combat loops.
• Older, distinct IPs (Rayman, Splinter Cell, Beyond Good & Evil) are perceived as neglected or trapped in development hell, while formulaic franchises are pushed.

Management, risk aversion, and unions

• Large publishers are described as extremely risk-averse, preferring to milk a few big IPs rather than create new ones.
• Several blame MBA-style leadership focused on short-term stock and exponential growth, not product quality or creative culture.
• “Rising development costs” is viewed skeptically; some see it as code for blaming worker wages and unions while executive pay and shareholder returns remain untouched.
• One ex-Ubisoft developer cites HQ interference, failed NFT/crypto bets, and tone-deaf public statements as pushing talent out.

Financial signals and stock discourse

• The stock drop of ~40% after the announcement, and ~95% over five years, is widely taken as evidence of deep trouble.
• There is a mini-debate over misuse of raw share price vs market cap; several stress that absolute share price is meaningless, only percentage moves and fundamentals matter.

Broader AAA industry critique

• Ubisoft’s plight is placed in a wider context: ballooning asset/cutscene costs, oversupply of long games, and competition for playtime from Roblox/Minecraft/Fortnite plus AA/indies.
• Many argue big studios chase loot boxes, live services, and annualized reskins instead of gameplay innovation, releasing unfinished games and patching later.
• Some predict or hope for a “crash” or at least a shift toward mid-budget and indie titles, with optimism that laid-off devs may form new, more creative studios.