French games developer Ubisoft has scrapped several games and studios as it pushes ahead with cost reduction and organisational restructuring plans.

Looking to reduce spending across its entire business, Ubisoft will no longer pursue plans for a new version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

Nor will it develop a further four untitled games and a mobile title that had previously been planned, bringing the total number of scrapped projects to six. Ubisoft said it made the decision after “a thorough review” of planned content highlighted quality issues.

Ubisoft has also delayed the release of seven titles, which had been expected to launch in the 2026 financial year.

According to the gaming company, the yet-to-be-released titles require “additional development time” so that they adhere to “enhanced quality benchmarks”.

Ubisoft’s latest round of cost reduction plans will also affect a number of its studios. At the start of the month, it announced the closure of a Halifax, Canada-based studio that focused on mobile titles. The closure put 71 people out of work. It’s also shuttering operations at a studio based in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

While not threatened with closure, its Abu Dhabi-based studio will undergo restructuring to save money. So will Finnish games developer RedLynx, acquired by Ubisoft in 2011, and Swedish games studio Massive Entertainment, which Ubisoft took over in 2008. Each will be affected by layoffs.

According to Ubisoft, these decisions will help it save around €100 million by March 2026 instead of in 2027. It hopes to reduce costs by a further €200 million within two years. Fixed costs are expected to hit €1.25 billion in March 2028.

Beyond cancelled or delayed games and closed studios, Ubisoft is undergoing a major corporate restructuring that will see five creative houses focusing on a specific gaming genre and managing all aspects of title development - from creation to rollout.

For example, Ubisoft’s first creative house - Vantage Studios - is tasked with ensuring iconic gaming brands such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six generate billions in revenue each year.

The creative houses will operate mostly independently, with specialist support provided by a core services unit specialising in areas like technology and infrastructure, business operations and services, and production. A new creative network is also being set up to provide the creative houses with additional production support from outside studios.

Changes are also underway at Ubisoft’s headquarters, which will now be tasked with setting strategic objectives and a vision for the wider business to follow, allocating capital and keeping track of wider industry changes that may affect the business.

Yves Guillemot, founder and chief executive of Ubisoft, described the changes as “difficult” but called them a “necessary” step in helping the organisation become “more focused, efficient and sustainable” in the coming years.

“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,” he said in a statement. “The portfolio refocus will have a significant impact on the Group’s short term financial trajectory, particularly in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, but this reset will strengthen the Group and enable it to renew with sustainable growth and robust cash generation.”

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