Ubisoft's Recent Decisions Impact Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia Franchises
Ubisoft has announced several significant changes affecting its upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows and the recently released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. These decisions follow a challenging period for the company's game releases.
Assassin's Creed Shadows: Early Access Cancelled and Collector's Edition Price Reduced
Ubisoft confirmed the cancellation of Assassin's Creed Shadows' early access, previously offered with the Collector's Edition. The early access period has been scrapped entirely. This follows the game's release date postponement to February 14, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The Collector's Edition price has also been reduced from $280 to $230, while still including the artbook, steelbook, figurine, and other previously announced items. Rumors suggest Ubisoft Quebec is exploring the addition of a co-op mode featuring both antagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, but this remains unconfirmed.
Insider Gaming reports that the cancellation stems from challenges in maintaining historical accuracy and cultural representation, contributing to both the early access cancellation and the release date delay. Ubisoft also confirmed the elimination of season passes for the title.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Development Team Dissolved
In a more surprising move, Ubisoft has disbanded the Ubisoft Montpellier team responsible for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Despite positive critical reception, the decision is attributed to the game failing to meet sales expectations. While specific sales figures haven't been released, Ubisoft has acknowledged disappointment with the game's performance.
Abdelhak Elguess, senior producer of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, stated that the team is proud of their work and confident in the game's long-term success. He confirmed the completion of the post-launch roadmap, including three free content updates and a DLC released in September. The team's focus now shifts to expanding the game's reach to new platforms, including a Mac release planned for this winter. Elguess also confirmed that most team members have transitioned to other projects within Ubisoft. The company expressed continued enthusiasm for the Prince of Persia franchise and hinted at future installments.
