Ubisoft’s remake of time-rewinding Prince of Persia classic The Sands of Time has finally reappeared to tease - with the emphasis on tease - a release not this year, not next year, but in 2026.
The Sands of Time remake, you might recall, was originally announced way back in 2020. A do-over of the 2003 3D entry in the long-running platforming series, it was confirmed to be bringing back the Prince’s OG actor for a fresh recording while showing off a slightly more realistic visual style.
At the time, Ubisoft said to expect the Sands of Time remake in 2021. That then slipped to 2022, before slipping into “indefinite delay” territory - with pre-orders being refunded, despite Ubisoft’s insistence the game was still in the works - as original Sands of Time developers Ubisoft Montreal took over development from their Indian colleagues in Pune and Mumbai.
Even three years after its original reveal - and two years after it had originally been schedule to come out - The Sands of Time remake was still said to be in an “early stage” of “conception” according to producer Jean-Francois Naud. Not exactly reassuring news.
Over a year on from that last update - and coming up on four years since it was first unveiled, for those keeping count - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time reappeared, to describe its flitting tease generously, during tonight’s Ubisoft Forward showcase.
We didn’t see any gameplay, only a plume of smoke winding backwards to a candle in a holder in front of a blurry window with buildings visible in the distance. All that we got otherwise was a year: 2026. So, two years away. Which will put the release date of The Sands of Time remake - if it does indeed finally come out, rather than sliding into the void occupied by Beyond Good & Evil 2 - around six years on from its original announcement.
Still, an actual release is theoretically better than nothing, right? See you in two years to find out if the long wait has been worth it.
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