In the wake of rumors that Ubisoft had disbanded the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, another report suggested that one of the new projects those developers have been shuffled onto is a Rayman revival. Now, Ubisoft has confirmed that it's working on the return of the limbless platforming wonder.
"We are pleased to confirm Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan have recently started an exploration phase on the Rayman brand," a Ubisoft spokesperson tells Kotaku. "The project is still in its early stages, and we will share more details later." This comes in response to an Insider Gaming report, which suggested that some members of the former Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown team had been moved onto a Rayman remake.
"As creator of the Rayman brand, Michel Ancel is being consulted to ensure consistency within the universe," Ubisoft adds in its statement. Ancel directed much of the Rayman series as well as the beloved action-adventure title Beyond Good & Evil. He retired from the game industry in 2020, and shortly afterward reports emerged that he was being investigated for toxic leadership at Ubisoft. He vehemently denied those accusations.
At a minimum, it's good to see Ubisoft hanging onto the potential of platformers even if The Lost Crown didn't measure up to whatever the company's internal expectations are. The Rayman series is by and large outstanding. 1999's Rayman 2: The Great Escape is in the conversation for the greatest 3D platformer of all time, and the two most recent revivals - Rayman Origins and Legends - are among the finest 2D platformers produced this century. Here's hoping if this new project makes it past the "exploration phase," it can live up to that incredible legacy.
Hopefully we'll soon be able to add one more to our list of upcoming Ubisoft games.
