Ubisoft
Farewell to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown 2, Ubisoft dismantles creators of GOTY contender
Its developers had proposed a sequel, but despite having given us one of the best-reviewed games of 2024, they are now out of business after failing to meet sales expectations.
We can’t say that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown would be one of our votes at the next The Game Awards. We think it is Ubisoft’s best game in over a decade and a Metroidvania for the annals of the genre. Thanks to it, Hollow Knight: Silksong no longer competed with itself, but with a worthy rival that raised the bar even higher. But nothing, not even a globally acclaimed title, is enough in these times.
The team behind the game has been disbanded by Ubisoft, according to the French journalist known as Gautoz, who assures that the team proposed a sequel to Ubisoft, but was rejected outright because the first installment did not achieve the expected sales. Although official figures were never released, a month after its release it was leaked that The Lost Crown had barely sold 300,000 units. They say that when the river flows, it carries water, and there must have been some truth to those rumors, because shortly after they would try to extend its life by changing their policies and releasing it on Steam (it was born exclusively on the Epic Games Store). The same goes for its recent and curious DLC known as Mask of Darkness.
The news is even sadder when you consider that the saga turns 30 today, and adds an extra layer of anger to the equation, coming as it does just as employees went on a three-day strike to defend telecommuting (it seems you can’t even defend your rights anymore). “I’ve heard and read three or four people say that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the best development of their lives,” Gautoz added. “Ubisoft just saw it as a way to rehabilitate the people who were burned by Beyond Good and Evil 2″.
However, given the uproar caused on the net, it should be clarified that Ubisoft Montpellier has not been closed, only the team within the studio that was in charge of Prince. Montpellier (also the authors of that other masterpiece called Rayman Legends) is still working on various projects, one of which, ironically, is the tattered remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Ubisoft has already confirmed the reports. According to a statement by Abdelhak Elguess, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown senior producer to Eurogamer, “Most of the team members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will benefit from their expertise. We know players have a love for this brand and Ubisoft is excited to bring more Prince of Persia experiences in the future.”
What if The Lost Crown were to win an award at The Game Awards right now, wouldn’t that be the best proof that no matter how many good games are out there, we’re facing one of the darkest and saddest years in the industry?
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