Kinda Funny Games Daily: Prince of Persia Remake CANCELLED!!

Episode Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Greg Miller, Matt Kim (Guest), Barrett Courtney
Main Theme: Major upheaval at Ubisoft – including the cancellation of the long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake – and broader discussions about industry trends, game adaptations, and company strategies.

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off 2026 with massive industry news: Ubisoft’s cancellation of six games, notably the long-delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. Host Greg Miller is joined by journalist Matt Kim for an in-depth analysis of Ubisoft’s restructuring, the corporate context behind these decisions, and their wider implications for gaming. They also discuss game cancellations, speculation about Ubisoft's future (including Tencent's growing influence), and field listener reactions. Other news includes a Donkey Kong Country Returns HD update, the recasting of Chloe in the upcoming Life Is Strange Reunion, the God of War TV show’s casting, and updates on Marathon and ZeniMax’s canceled MMO “Project Blackbird.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ubisoft Cancellations & Prince of Persia Remake

[04:21–24:48]

• Breaking News: Ubisoft has canceled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, plus five other unannounced projects—three of which are new IPs, and one a mobile title. Seven other projects are delayed.
• Context: The remake had a troubled development cycle: announced in 2020 with Indian studios Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai, negative fan reaction, multiple hand-offs between Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto, and frequent delays.
• Official Reason: Ubisoft says ongoing work “would have required more time and investment than we could reasonably commit,” and reiterates the desire not to “release something that fell short of what the Sands of Time represents.”
  ["While the project had real potential, we weren't able to reach the level of quality you deserve..." — Ubisoft Dev Team, 08:11]
• Industry Insight:
  • Matt calls it “continued kicks to the shins that Ubisoft has been kind of taking for the past couple of years.” – [09:34]
  • Greg and Matt agree it’s “bad news bears” for true fans. The show notes that five other unannounced games—possibly including single-player or non–games-as-a-service experiences—were likely seen as less profitable.
• Speculation:
  • Listeners ask if Ubisoft is trimming down for a corporate sale, possibly to Tencent. Greg references Tencent’s billion-euro investment in Vantage Studios (the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six division).
  • “You really get down to what the fuck is happening. And clearly they have to be building it up to sell it,” Greg speculates. [11:05]
  • Matt wonders if Tencent’s partnership allows them to “quietly shutter or sell” non-core franchises and focus on big evergreen IPs.
  • Rumored projects possibly affected: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Splinter Cell Remake.
• Fan Perspective:
  • The hosts lament the time—six years!—and multiple studios invested in the Prince remake. They wish smaller studios (like Saber or Embracer) would acquire dormant IPs to find realistic success.
  • “Ubisoft needs double digit profit…a nice little linear remake of Prince of Persia is not going to generate that.” — Greg [18:50]

2. Ubisoft's Business Moves & Company Health

[12:52–24:00]

• Tencent’s Influence: Vantage Studios, with Tencent’s 26% stake, now controls the crown jewels. Continuing speculation about an eventual Ubisoft sale, possibly piecemeal—echoing Square Enix’s strategic restructuring.
• Games-as-a-Service Focus:
  • Ubisoft explicitly says it's “return[ing] to exceptional quality on Open World Adventure” and wants to “step change…in the Games as a Service Native Experiences segment.” [12:01]
  • Matt worries that future Ubisoft games will chase the “continuous revenue” model, leaving single-player experiences behind.
• Project Management Challenges:
  • Matt highlights the turmoil caused by shifting Prince of Persia between studios, draining talent and focus from other key franchises (e.g., Assassin's Creed).
  • “It’s a real failure of management that the project ended up the way that it did [with Prince of Persia Remake].” – Matt [20:59]
• Broader Concerns:
  • Greg: “This feels like the world’s slowest car crash…every time you see a business story come out of Ubisoft, it's never a good thing.” [23:12]
  • Both sympathize with dev teams, who must feel continual exhaustion amid constant pivots and looming layoffs.

Memorable Quotes

• “It's just, it's bad and it feels really sorta like, I don't know… you immediately feel bad for this project… and then you really worry about Ubisoft and their future.” – Matt Kim [09:34]
• “If the company that shipped Skull and Bones is telling you that they canceled the game for quality reasons, it's easy to assume that game must have been pretty fucking bad.” – Citing Jeff Gerstmann [16:31]

3. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Update

[25:02–37:17]

• What’s New: Free update adds Dixie Kong (playable with unique moves), two-player co-op, “Turbo Attack” mode, and higher-def graphics for Switch 2.
• Fan Response: Barrett Courtney, the Kinda Funny Donkey Kong superfan, shares strong opinions (“I want the Tropical Freeze update!”).
• Nintendo’s Strategy: Hosts baffled that “Tropical Freeze” (widely seen as the superior DK game) hasn’t received the same upgrade, nor has Donkey Kong 64 been revisited. General praise for Switch 2’s “premium” feel and accessible game library.
  • “I've really fallen in love with my Switch 2. It's just… the better version of the Switch.” — Matt [34:53]

4. Life is Strange Reunion – Chloe Not Recast

[37:18–39:39]

• News: Ashley Burch, original Chloe voice actor, will NOT reprise her role; Rihanna De Vries returns, as in "Before the Storm."
• Community Reaction: Greg and Matt note the series has survived cast changes before, and that the games' “music and acting” have always been a strong suit.
  • “You can tell the team really likes working on the games and I should play them.” — Matt [39:32]

5. God of War TV Series Casts New Kratos

[39:40–43:17]

• Casting Announcement: Ryan Hurst will play Kratos. Christopher Judge (game Kratos) publicly supports him:
  • “All I wanted…was that they love, cherish and respect Kratos as much as we do. Judge said… With Ryan Hurst, they have done that. It's a magnificent choice.” [41:07]
• Cautious Optimism: Fallout’s success on Prime Video raises hopes for quality, but Greg warns of budget constraints hampering effects-heavy adaptations.

6. Crimson Desert Goes Gold

[43:18–46:28]

• Big Surprise: Pearl Abyss’s ambitious RPG Crimson Desert is actually ready, launching March 19, 2026.
• Preview Impressions: Matt has played several demos and always left impressed, noting it’s much closer to The Witcher than another Souls-like (“I want to do this because it always drives me nuts… it's not a souls game.” — Matt [45:39]).

7. Industry Trends: Marathon & Game Funding

[46:29–51:03]

• Former art director Joseph Cross (Bungie):
  • Questions whether the era of unproven, big-budget games like Marathon is over:
    • “How much longer are things like this going to exist?” [48:15]
  • Suggests vaulting creative risks and sky-high funding may become rare; games increasingly need known IP or early access funding models, not long gestations.
• Marathon (Extraction Shooter):
  • Preorder numbers are strong (top 10 on Steam), but the challenge is retaining that audience after launch.

8. Project Blackbird (Zenimax MMO) Footage Leaks

[51:04–55:23]

• Canceled Game: Footage emerges from Zenimax Online’s axed sci-fi MMO, “Project Blackbird,” scrapped in mid-2025 during Microsoft’s layoffs.
• Personal Anguish: Former president Matt Firor called Blackbird “the game I had waited my entire career to create,” resigning after the cancellation.
  • “That’s a level of dedication…you don’t hear publicly.” — Matt [54:52]
• Aftershocks: Some ex-devs formed “Sackbird Studios” to preserve creative independence.

9. Rapid-Fire News ('Wii News Channel')

[55:24–58:43]

• Fortnite teased an Office crossover.
• Far Cry 3 (plus Blood Dragon & Primal) get 60FPS patches for PS5/Xbox Series.
• Occult Horror Deckbuilder: The Killing Stone launches Feb 18.
• Enshrouded 1.0 will hit autumn 2026, with positive streamer buzz.
• Note: Metroid Prime producer Kensuke Tanabe announces retirement. [60:43]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “This feels like the world's slowest car crash…” — Greg [23:12]
• “It's a real failure of management that the project ended up the way that it did.” — Matt on Prince of Persia Remake [20:59]
• “Ubisoft needs double digit returns...a nice little linear remake of Prince of Persia is not going to generate that.” — Greg [18:50]
• “I feel tired from the outside looking in. Imagine… having to work there every day.” — Matt, on Ubisoft devs [24:48]
• “There's something really pleasant about the softness of the Switch 2's plastic and its buttons and joysticks. Velvety.” — Matt [36:13]
• “If the company that shipped Skull and Bones is telling you that they canceled the game for quality reasons, it's easy to assume that game must have been pretty fucking bad.” — Jeff Gerstman, cited [16:31]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:43–03:22 | Guest Intro: Matt Kim’s games journalism journey
• 04:21–24:48 | Top Story: Ubisoft’s mass cancellations & company strategy
• 25:02–37:17 | Donkey Kong News: DK Country Returns HD update
• 37:18–39:39 | Life is Strange Reunion: Casting change for Chloe
• 39:40–43:17 | God of War TV: New Kratos and adaptation hopes
• 43:18–46:28 | Crimson Desert: Gold status and genre comparisons
• 46:29–51:03 | Marathon & Funding: Trends in AAA game investments
• 51:04–55:23 | Project Blackbird: Zenimax’s canceled MMO and dev fallout
• 55:24–58:43 | Wii News Channel: Fortnite x Office, Far Cry patches, more

Listener Questions & Superchats

• Who might acquire Ubisoft? – speculation about Tencent and piecemeal sales [11:05–14:46]
• Is Beyond Good and Evil 2 canceled? – likely, no official word [15:26]
• Advice for aspiring news show creators: "For a long time the shows you make are going to be trash. ... Just get going." — Greg [59:26]

Final Thoughts

The episode paints a sobering portrait of modern AAA publishing: relentless corporate pressure, live service pivot, and creative casualties. The canceled Prince of Persia remake becomes a lens through which to view broader shifts—fewer risks, legacy IP consolidation, and rising anxiety for both devs and fans.

Despite this, the hosts also find joy in smaller stories (DK’s return, cozy indie gaming on Switch 2), and remain cautiously optimistic about new adaptations and original games able to break through.

Summary by Kinda Funny Games Daily Summarizer – stay tuned, and #SavePrinceOfPersia