Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a side-scrolling Metroidvania game, launched with great critical acclaim in early 2024. However, despite its success among critics and players, the game’s sales did not meet the expectations set by Ubisoft, leading to significant changes for the team involved in its development.
According to a report by French journalist Gautoz, who discussed these developments on the YouTube channel ORIGAMI, the Ubisoft Montpellier team that created The Lost Crown has been disbanded. Gautoz described the game’s development as "the best production of my life" as quoted by several team members across a single weekend. He highlighted the project as both a beacon of hope for new creative approaches and a recovery zone for staff exhausted by previous projects, such as Beyond Good & Evil 2.
Following this report, Ubisoft provided an official response to clarify the situation. Abdelhak Elguess, senior producer at Ubisoft Montpellier, expressed pride in the team's work and the positive reception of The Lost Crown. He noted that the game had completed its post-launch roadmap, which included three free content updates and a DLC released in September. With these updates completed, the game was recently made available on Steam and is slated for release on Mac by winter.
Elguess confirmed that most team members have now shifted to other projects within Ubisoft, leveraging their expertise in new areas. He assured that there have been no layoffs, merely transitions to different projects within the company's studios.
The reallocation of the team reflects a broader strategy by Ubisoft to keep its workforce agile and adaptable, redirecting resources to where they are most needed. This practice allows the company to maintain a dynamic portfolio and continuously refresh its offerings in the competitive gaming industry.
This shift also opens up future possibilities for the Prince of Persia series. Ubisoft remains committed to the franchise, with plans to release more experiences in the coming years. This includes a highly anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, scheduled for release in 2026.
