What is the release date for Prince of Persia remake?

While Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is totally, definitely not canceled, Ubisoft says, the publisher is nonetheless refunding those who may have pre-ordered the game after its premature September 2020 announcement.

That comes from an FAQ, posted Monday, in response to “a lot of questions from our community,” regarding the project’s fate. You may remember that, in February 2021 — one month after the game’s original launch date and one month before its revised delivery date — Ubisoft told everyone The Sands of Time Remake was delayed indefinitely.

Then, this May, the game’s official Twitter account resurfaced with word that development had been taken from Ubisoft’s studios in Pune and Mumbai, India, and handed to Ubisoft Montreal. Still no revised release date was given.

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is not cancelled [emphasis theirs],” Ubisoft wrote. “The game is currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal.” That said, “there are currently no plans to remake any other Prince of Persia title,” which makes sense given the difficulty they’ve had delivering this one.

Of course, “since the game currently does not have a release date,” Ubisoft has decided to go ahead and cancel pre-orders and issue refunds where necessary.

Obviously, the publisher wanted to get the news in proper order here, as canceling pre-orders outright would lead most to assume that the game has been scrubbed. Which, frankly, it may as well be. If Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has no launch date or window, and no pre-order availability, that’s like a Whopper without the burger or the bun: nothing.

Remember, video game makers practically never declare the cancellation of a title after they’ve announced it, especially if that announcement was made on an expo’s stage or during a livestream showcase. It’ll just recede into a haze of abandoned trademarks and quiet de-listings years later.

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An update came from the official Prince Of Persia Twitter account yesterday (October 28). While light on details, it was an assurance from the development team that Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake‘s development is “still under way”, which may allay fears after the remake didn’t make an appearance at E3 2021 during the Ubisoft Forward presentation.

The team added, “We will update you on our progress in the future and want to thank all of you for your unwavering support and patience.”

An update from the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake development team: pic.twitter.com/z9sFaBwz9N

— Prince of Persia (@princeofpersia) October 28, 2021

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While the update didn’t give any specifics on a new release date, a quarterly financial report released yesterday (October 28, thanks PC Gamer) revealed that Ubisoft expects Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake to be released during the 2022-23 fiscal year.

In calendar terms, this means the remake could release anytime between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, making it a delay from a previous Ubisoft earnings call earlier this year that said the game would release before April 2022. A later delay would however have it coincide with the original’s 20th anniversary.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake was first announced in September 2020, boasting a new graphics engine, completely remade enemy character models, animations, and cinematic sequences, as well as featuring the original voice actor Yuri Lowenthal reprising his role as the titular Prince.

Developed by India-based studios Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune, the remake was originally slated for release on January 21, 2021. It was however delayed to March 2021 before being delayed indefinitely. It’s not known whether production has shifted to another studio.

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In other Ubisoft news, it’s also been confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Infinity will not be a free-to-play title.

Sure enough, Ubisoft confirmed that the Montreal studio is still working on it. "We’re proud of the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, and Ubisoft Montreal will benefit from their learnings as the new team will continue the work to deliver a great remake," a rep said. "As a consequence, we are no longer targeting a FY23 release anymore and the game has been delisted.

"If players wish to cancel their preorder they are invited to contact their retailer. They will be updated on the project as the development is moving along."

A new release target hasn't been set, but it's still possible that The Sands of Time Remake could appear in 2023: The company's 2022-23 fiscal year ends on March 31, 2023, so it could miss that mark and still arrive in the 2023 calendar year. The fact that it's being delisted from retailers points to a seriously significant wait, though—enough to make me think that development might be starting over from scratch.

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