Assassin's Creed Shadows Early Access Cancelled Amongst Other Moves at Ubisoft

Ubisoft Scraps Assassin's Creed Shadows Early Access, Shuts Down Prince of Persia Team

Ubisoft's recent struggles with game releases have led to some significant changes. The early access release for Assassin's Creed Shadows, previously promised to Collector's Edition owners, has been canceled. Furthermore, the development team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been disbanded.

Assassin's Creed Shadows: No Early Access, Price Drop for Collector's Edition

Ubisoft confirmed the cancellation of Assassin's Creed Shadows' early access via a Discord Q&A. This follows the game's delay to February 14, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The decision, according to Insider Gaming, stems from challenges ensuring historical accuracy and cultural representation. This, along with the need for further polish, contributed to the delay.

To compensate, Ubisoft has reduced the price of the Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Edition from $280 to $230. The edition still includes the artbook, steelbook, figurine, and other previously announced items. Unconfirmed rumors suggest Ubisoft Quebec is exploring a co-op mode featuring both antagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, but this remains unverified. Season passes for the game have also been scrapped.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Dissolved

The team at Ubisoft Montpellier responsible for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been dissolved. While the game received positive reviews, Origami reports that the decision was made due to disappointing sales figures.

Abdelhak Elguess, senior producer, stated in an IGN interview that the team is "extremely proud" of their work and confident in the game's long-term success. The post-launch roadmap is complete, with three free content updates and one DLC released in September. Future plans include a Mac release "by this winter," and team members have transitioned to other projects within Ubisoft. Ubisoft expressed continued enthusiasm for future Prince of Persia projects.