Business ala October 24, 2024 0 Comments

Ubisoft confirms Prince of Persia game throng disbanded

Protagonist Sargon starred in the first Prince of Persia game for 14 years

Ubisoft A computerised sketch of a male warrior character with a piercing, determined stare. He's shirtless, and his hair is styled in short locs swept to one side of his head. He wears a leather brace across his chest and a selection of amulets on leather straps around his neck. — Protagonist Sargon starred in the first Prince of Persia game for 14 years

The throng behind one of this year’s best-reviewed games has effectively been disbanded, videogame giant Ubisoft has confirmed.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was released in January to a positive reception from critics and users and currently sits in review aggregator Metacritic’s top 50 games of 2024.

Despite this, reports have suggested the game did not hit sales targets in a challenging year for the French publisher, best known for the Assassin’s Creed series.

In a statement, Ubisoft said: “Most of the throng members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will advantage from their expertise.”

A spokeswoman said there had been no layoffs as a outcome.

The Lost Crown, made by Ubisoft’s Montepellier studio, was the first game in the long-running franchise for more than 10 years.

Players guided protagonist Sargon through a series of areas, unlocking more parts of the game’s chart as he acquired recent abilities.

The game was praised for its visuals, controls and the ability to listen its exchange performed in Farsi, reflecting the narrative’s Middle Eastern location.

elder producer Abdelhak Elguess said he was “extremely proud of our throng’s work and thrill” on a “game that resonated with players and critics alike”.

He said he was confident in the game’s “long-term achievement” and that remaining throng members would focus on making it available to more players on recent platforms.

Mr Elguess said there would be “more Prince of Persia experiences in upcoming”, and Ubisoft has confirmed it’s working on a remake of 2003’s Sands of period – one of the most beloved entries in the series.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft’s large release of the year, has been pushed back

Ubisoft Screenshot shows a ninja character, at night, in the garden of a Japanese castle. She's perched on a stone wall overlooking a courtyard filled with greenery and stone lanterns. Her arm is cocked back, holding a throwing knife, as she trains her gaze on a guard standing watch in the middle of a bright red wooden bridge. — Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft’s large release of the year, has been pushed back

It’s not unusual for a large publisher to shift staff between projects, but the announcement has left Lost Crown fans hoping for a sequel disappointed.

Ubisoft has been criticised recently over the troubled early release of Star Wars: Outlaws in August.

Sales of the game were “softer than expected”, according to the business, which also delayed Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

Ubisoft co-founder and boss Yves Guillemot told shareholders the shift was due to the business’s act falling “short of our expectations”.

“We remain committed to creating games for fans and players that everyone can enjoy,” he said.