Ubisoft Faces Fresh Pressure to Revive Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake After $5 Million Fan Offer

Fans are still upset about the cancelation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, especially those who’ve been waiting years to return to one of Ubisoft’s most beloved adventures. But the situation has taken an unexpected twist, after an anonymous supporter reportedly sent an open letter to Ubisoft offering more than $5 million to help continue development.

The offer comes after years of delays, development changes, and uncertainty about the project, which was formally canceled earlier this year. There’s no word yet on whether Ubisoft will take up the offer, but it’s another opportunity for the publisher to rethink the future of the franchise.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an important part of gaming history for many gamers.

Originally released as a 3D action platformer, the game shifted the series from its traditional 2D roots to an adventure based around time manipulation, combat, environmental puzzles, and platforming. Its memorable mechanics and storytelling helped set a formula that would influence several later releases.

The original trilogy also explored new directions for the franchise. Warrior Within showed a darker side of the Prince, while The Two Thrones pushed the story toward its end with another big adventure. These changes fractured some players, but the series stayed a key part of Ubisoft’s history. 

Ubisoft first announced the remake of Sands of Time in 2020, describing it as a chance to introduce the classic adventure to a new generation. However, its initial reveal didn’t get the response the publisher was hoping for. Many players criticized the visuals and presentation of the game, saying that the remake did not look like the return of a classic it had promised to be. One of the first problems with the project was poor reception.

The remake was originally slated to be released by Ubisoft in January 2021 but was ultimately delayed. What started out as a short delay became a long struggle to develop the product, with the company providing few meaningful updates on how the project was going. From there, things started to become even more uncertain, with the game falling off the radar for regular updates and left without a confirmed release window.

Development duties were also scattered. Ubisoft initially gave the project to a different studio, but the publisher eventually decided to transfer it to Ubisoft Montreal, the team that did the original Sands of Time. The decision was framed as a chance to inject the remake with some more creative direction by putting the project back into the hands of developers familiar with the franchise.

However, the change reportedly had a high cost. Instead of continuing with the existing game, Ubisoft Montreal decided to scrap the old version and build the game from the ground up. This meant that the remake would have to go through yet another long development cycle, despite the earlier version being said to be relatively close to completion. 

That situation didn’t really change until Ubisoft officially announced the cancelation of the remake in January.

This was a particularly disappointing decision given the significant development resources and time the publisher had already committed to the project. And fans were left to wonder how a game that had survived multiple delays and an epic studio transfer could suddenly disappear without ever being released.

The way the cancelation was handled was also criticized, with those working on the project allegedly learning of its fate through Ubisoft’s public announcement. It’s understood that the game’s voice actors and other members of the development team were not informed ahead of time, leaving them to hear the news alongside the rest of the gaming community. 

Recently Ubisoft has been under considerable pressure as several releases and new intellectual properties have struggled to meet expectations. Rainbow Six Siege remains a giant part of its portfolio, but the publisher has struggled to maintain that same level of momentum with its other projects. 

The new $5 million proposal only makes the situation more strange. Even an anonymous fan has reportedly offered to personally donate more than $5 million to help revive the remake, without asking for public recognition for the donation. The proposal shows how much the original game still means to some members of the community, even after years of uncertainty about its return.

For Ubisoft, such a deal could be an opportunity to re-earn some of the goodwill it lost from Prince of Persia fans.

The company has already spent many resources trying to get the remake off the ground, and the chance of securing extra money could make revisiting the project a very attractive option. But the proposal alone is not enough to ensure that development can begin again, as Ubisoft still has to take into account the project's needs in terms of production, staff, ownership, and general feasibility.

There’s also the question of whether the publisher even wants to pick up a project they’ve decided to cancel. It would take more than just finding more money to restart development, especially since the previous version was reportedly scrapped and rebuilt. Ubisoft would have to have a clear development plan and decide if the remake still fits its wider business priorities.

But the offer does highlight something publishers should not overlook: that longtime fans remain deeply invested in the games that helped build their favorite franchises. For many players, Prince of Persia is more than just another Ubisoft game, and The Sands of Time is still one of the series' most memorable games. But even with the constant setbacks, fans have not lost interest in seeing it return.

Whether Ubisoft will take the anonymous fan up on the proposal is yet to be seen. At this moment, the opportunity is a bizarre chance for the publisher to rethink one of its most ill-advised decisions and demonstrate that it’s still willing to listen to the community that has supported the franchise. After years of delays and a cancelation that frustrated many players, fans will be hoping this surprise development gives The Sands of Time another chance to reach a new generation.