Ubisoft Overhauls Operations Canceling Six Games In 2026

On January 21, 2026, Ubisoft, the French video game giant behind franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, announced a sweeping overhaul of its business in what it calls a “major organizational, operational, and portfolio reset.” The move, as reported by Video Games Chronicle and detailed in Ubisoft’s own press releases, marks one of the most significant shakeups in the company’s four-decade history, with six games canceled—including the much-anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time—seven others delayed, and a radical restructuring around five new “Creative Houses.”

The decision comes after several years of disappointing sales and lukewarm critical receptions for some of Ubisoft’s biggest projects, such as Star Wars Outlaws, as well as a broader industry trend toward a more selective and competitive AAA market. As CEO Yves Guillemot explained in a statement, “On the one hand, the AAA industry has become persistently more selective and competitive with rising development costs and greater challenges in creating brands. On the other hand, exceptional AAA games, when successful, have more financial potential than ever.”

At the heart of Ubisoft’s reset is a new operating model designed to “reclaim creative leadership, regain agility and drive a sharp rebound, renewing the Group’s trajectory toward sustainable growth and robust cash generation,” according to the company’s January 21 press release. This model, which will begin operating in early April 2026, will see Ubisoft’s sprawling development empire consolidated into five specialized Creative Houses. Each house will be responsible for a distinct genre or audience, combining both game development and go-to-market functions, and will have full financial ownership and accountability for its projects.

Here’s how the new structure will break down:

- CH1 (Vantage Studios): Focuses on scaling Ubisoft’s largest franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, aiming to turn them into “annual billionaire brands.”

- CH2: Dedicated to competitive and cooperative shooter experiences, with brands like The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell.

- CH3: Operates select live experiences, including For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, and Skull & Bones.

- CH4: Immersive fantasy worlds and narrative-driven universes, such as Anno, Might & Magic, Rayman, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good & Evil.

- CH5: Focused on casual and family-friendly games, including Just Dance, Idle Miner Tycoon, Ketchapp, Hungry Shark, Invincible: Guarding the Globe, Uno, and Hasbro titles.

Each Creative House will be led by dedicated leadership teams with deep expertise in their genres, incentivized for long-term, cash-generating growth, and tasked with developing must-play experiences tailored to specific audiences. The company says this decentralized approach will empower faster decision-making and allow for more direct engagement with player communities throughout the development process.

But the reset also comes at a cost. Ubisoft has discontinued six games that “do not meet the new enhanced quality as well as more selective portfolio prioritization criteria at Group level.” Chief among these is the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, a project first announced in September 2020 with a planned 2021 release. After a series of delays and a shift in development from Ubisoft’s Indian studios to Ubisoft Montreal in 2022, the game resurfaced during the 2024 Ubisoft Forward event with a new 2026 window. As recently as June 2025, Ubisoft was still confirming the remake’s continued development. Now, however, the project has been shelved, with the company’s Prince of Persia X account addressing disappointed fans directly.

The other canceled titles include four unannounced games—three new IPs and a mobile title. Ubisoft says these projects failed to meet its new standards for quality and portfolio focus. Meanwhile, seven other games have been delayed “to ensure enhanced quality benchmarks are fully met and maximize long-term value creation.” One of these, originally slated for Fiscal Year 2026, is now pushed to Fiscal Year 2027. Industry insiders, including Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, suggest this group includes the long-rumored Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake, which appeared on ratings boards in December under the title Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

The portfolio revision covers Ubisoft’s roadmap for the next three years and is designed to position the company’s Creative Houses for success in a market where, as Guillemot put it, “the Group step-changes how it is organized and operates with a view to delivering exceptional games quality at more competitive costs.”

The organizational reset also comes with significant cost-cutting measures. Ubisoft aims to save an additional €200 million over the next two years, on top of previously announced reductions. This has already led to the closure of Ubisoft Halifax and Ubisoft Stockholm, as well as restructurings at studios in Abu Dhabi, RedLynx, and Massive Entertainment. The company’s fixed cost base is targeted to shrink from €1.75 billion in fiscal year 2022–23 to approximately €1.25 billion by March 2028.

Financially, these moves will have a short-term impact. Ubisoft now expects net bookings of around €1.5 billion for FY2025–26, a gross margin reduction of about €330 million versus earlier guidance, and a one-off accelerated depreciation of around €650 million due to the discontinued projects and delays. Non-IFRS EBIT is forecast at around -€1 billion, with free cash flow between -€400 million and -€500 million. The company will update its outlook for FY2026–27 in May 2026.

Despite these challenges, Ubisoft is doubling down on what it sees as the future of the industry: Open World Adventures and Games as a Service (GaaS)-native experiences, underpinned by investments in cutting-edge technology like player-facing Generative AI. The company currently has four new IPs in development, including March of Giants, a MOBA acquired from Amazon Games in late 2025.

“While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary for us to build a more focused, efficient and sustainable organization over the long term,” said Guillemot. “Taken together, these measures mark a decisive turning point for Ubisoft and reflect our determination to confront challenges head-on to reshape the Group for the long term.”

As the dust settles, Ubisoft’s bold gamble to streamline its operations, refocus its creative energies, and invest in emerging technologies will be closely watched—not just by investors and industry analysts, but by millions of gamers worldwide eager to see if the company can recapture its former magic.