You, like no doubt countless other Ubisoft fans, would be forgiven for suspecting the publisher has succumbed to a bad case of amnesia as of late. While the French studio is no doubt best known today for the blockbuster Assassin’s Creed franchise, it seems that, to make bi-annual (previously yearly) installments of the historic action-RPG feasible, other beloved series have fallen by the wayside.
Rayman, Splinter Cell and of course, Prince of Persia, have simply vanished from view in recent years, leaving many to wonder if they’ll ever make a return and, if so, in what shape or form? It’s certainly no secret that Ubisoft has placed particular emphasis on delivering live service experiences such as The Division, Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, but do the aforementioned series truly have to suffer for the sake of the others?
We wouldn’t like to hazard a guess either way, though if recent developments are any indication, there’s a chance, however slim, that one of the three named above that is currently MIA could be making a comeback sooner rather than later. In a thread over on ResetEra discussing recently discovered footage of a cancelled Prince of Persia project, some have lamented the perception that Ubisoft has long-since stopped caring about the action-platformer, with one simply stating that: “It’s a shame this IP is basically dead now.” In response to that claim, another user going by the name of Okabe simply responds with “Hahaha….ha….ha. See ya in a couple of weeks.”
The obvious inference is that Okabe is aware of a revival, reboot or even a direct sequel to 2010’s Forgotten Sands that’s in the works, and given ResetEra’s track record for playing host to various industry insiders, such an outcome is definitely possible. In this instance, however, Okabe isn’t a verified member, meaning their identity or profession remains unknown. That being the case, we’d strongly suggest taking all of the above with a pinch of salt, though an ounce of cautious optimism never hurt anyone.
With reveal season almost upon us, expect any potential Prince of Persia announcement to arrive over the next several weeks or so.