The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake may be dead, but leaked images are giving fans their first real look at what could have been. Just days after Ubisoft officially canceled the long-troubled project, insider j0nathan shared a screenshot showing the updated character design of the Prince, and the gaming community can’t seem to agree on whether it was an improvement or a miss.
What the Leak Reveals
The leaked screenshot surfaced on January 23, 2026, offering a glimpse of the Prince’s redesigned appearance in the canceled remake. According to reports, this character design represents a noticeable departure from both the 2003 original and the initial version shown by Ubisoft India when the remake was first announced in 2020. Fans on Reddit and gaming forums have been dissecting every detail, with reactions ranging from cautiously optimistic to outright disappointed.
One Reddit user described the new design as looking more like Aladdin than the Prince, while another noted it was distinctly different from the Ubisoft India model but questioned whether either version truly captured the character’s essence. The design debate reflects broader concerns that plagued the remake throughout its troubled development cycle.
A Remake That Never Found Its Vision
The character design leak is particularly revealing when you consider what former developers have said about the project. A Reddit user named SocramVelmar, claiming to have worked on the remake, participated in a Q&A session on the Prince of Persia subreddit, providing rare insight into why the game ultimately failed. According to this developer, the remake suffered from serious issues with internal alignment, meaning different teams were working in slightly different directions instead of following a unified creative vision.
The design team apparently had it the worst. They would try to lock down how something should feel or play, while other teams were already moving in different directions. This constant push and pull led to endless rework instead of actual progress. The leaked character designs weren’t just random concepts but representative of an ongoing and often contentious design process that never quite settled on a definitive direction.
How Close Was the Game to Release?
Despite the apparent design chaos, SocramVelmar revealed that the remake was actually close to the finish line when Ubisoft pulled the plug. But close doesn’t always mean ready. According to the developer, at that point the question wasn’t about how much time or money had already been spent, but rather how much more it would take to ship something the publisher was willing to stand behind. Sometimes leadership decides that stopping development is cheaper than releasing a product they’re not confident in, even if it feels wasteful from the outside.
Ubisoft confirmed the cancellation on January 21, 2026, as part of a major organizational overhaul that saw six games canceled and seven more delayed. In a statement, the company said completing the Prince of Persia remake would have required more time and investment than they could responsibly commit. This came nearly six years after the project was first announced in September 2020, making it one of the most troubled remakes in recent gaming history.
What We Know About the Gameplay
Beyond the character design, previous leaks from November 2025 revealed interesting details about how the remake was evolving. The game was being built using the Anvil engine from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, but with significant adjustments to accommodate the Prince’s lighter, more acrobatic movement compared to Assassin’s Creed characters. The core mechanics from the 2003 original, including the Dagger of Time and fluid platforming, were reportedly staying intact.
Combat was getting a major overhaul to better lean into the Prince’s acrobatic skills and make more interesting use of his sand-controlled time powers. New time-bending mechanics were planned, with one developer describing it as cooperating with time itself rather than just fixing errors. The game would have featured enhanced time powers including rewind, slow time, stop time, and a stronger power that freezes enemies for quick attacks.
The Farah Redesign Controversy
The Prince wasn’t the only character getting a makeover. Earlier leaks showed that Princess Farah was being reimagined as a more independent, self-sufficient character. In the remake, she was described as 19 years old, cold-hearted, graceful, strong-willed, and an agile trained archer who was the eldest child of the Maharajah. Her story arc focused on how her time with the Prince changes her from being strictly duty-focused to someone who learns to trust and accept that life isn’t only about responsibility.
While Farah wasn’t going to be a playable character, she was designed to be central to both story and gameplay. She could interact with the world using her bow to trigger mechanisms and help clear paths, with puzzles designed around cooperative solutions between the two characters. This represented a significant departure from the original game where Farah was more of a traditional damsel in distress.
Mixed Reactions from the Community
Fan reactions to the leaked Prince design have been decidedly mixed. On the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, the top comment with 24 upvotes noted that the appearance was quite distinct from the Ubisoft India model, yet neither version truly captured the essence of the Prince. This sentiment reflects a broader frustration among longtime fans who felt the remake was struggling to honor the legacy of the beloved 2003 original while also modernizing it for contemporary audiences.
The character design debates mirror larger conversations happening in the gaming community about remakes and how much developers should change versus preserve. Some fans appreciated attempts to give characters fresh looks and deeper personalities, while others wanted something closer to the original aesthetic that made them fall in love with the series in the first place.
| Aspect | Original Plan | Development Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | January 2021 | Canceled January 2026 |
| Lead Studio | Ubisoft Pune/Mumbai | Shifted to Ubisoft Montreal |
| Development Status | On track for 2026 launch | Close to finish but not ready |
| Character Design | Enhanced version of original | Multiple conflicting versions |
What Happens to Prince of Persia Now?
Despite the cancellation, Ubisoft has stated that Prince of Persia remains an important part of its portfolio. The company recently found success with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a 2D action platformer that released to positive reviews. However, for fans who were hoping to revisit the Sands of Time with modern graphics and gameplay enhancements, the cancellation is a bitter pill to swallow.
The leaked character design will likely remain one of the few tangible glimpses into what the remake could have been. According to SocramVelmar, there’s doubt that any source code will leak, meaning fans probably won’t get to experience even an incomplete build of the game. It’s a disappointing end to a project that had been in some form of development for nearly six years.
FAQs
When was the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake officially canceled?
Ubisoft officially canceled the remake on January 21, 2026, as part of a major organizational restructuring that also saw five other games canceled and seven more delayed.
Who leaked the Prince character design?
Insider and content creator j0nathan shared the leaked screenshot on Twitter/X on January 23, 2026, showing the updated character design of the Prince from the canceled remake.
How long was the Prince of Persia remake in development?
The remake was first announced in September 2020 and was canceled in January 2026, meaning it spent nearly six years in various stages of development before being scrapped.
Was the game close to being finished when it was canceled?
According to a developer who worked on the project, the game was close to the finish line but not truly ready for release. The project suffered from internal alignment issues and lacked a unified creative vision.
What engine was the Prince of Persia remake using?
The remake was being developed using the Anvil engine, the same engine used for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, though it was being adjusted to accommodate the Prince’s lighter and more acrobatic movement style.
Will there be any more Prince of Persia games in the future?
Ubisoft has stated that Prince of Persia remains an important part of its portfolio, though no specific future projects have been announced. The company recently released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a 2D platformer that received positive reviews.
What were the main problems during the remake’s development?
The development suffered from poor internal alignment, with different teams working in slightly different directions. Design teams struggled to lock down gameplay feel while other teams moved ahead, leading to constant rework instead of progress. Leadership changes and the pandemic also contributed to delays.
How was Farah’s character being changed in the remake?
Farah was being reimagined as a more independent character – a 19-year-old trained archer and the Maharajah’s eldest child preparing to become Queen. While not playable, she would have been central to gameplay with cooperative puzzle-solving mechanics.
Conclusion
The leaked Prince character design offers a bittersweet glimpse into a remake that never found its footing. After six years of delays, restarts, and studio changes, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake has joined the growing list of high-profile game cancellations. While the character design itself has divided fans, it’s clear that the project’s problems ran much deeper than aesthetics. Between internal misalignment, competing creative visions, and the pressures of remaking a beloved classic, the game was fighting an uphill battle from the start. For now, these leaked images are all that remains of what could have been one of gaming’s most anticipated remakes.