More details of the unannounced Rayman remake have bubbled up again, this time from the creator of Rayman himself, Michel Ancel.
In a new interview with RetroGamer, Ancel discussed the secret project, confirming that rather than a remaster that simply presents the same game with slightly snazzier visuals, the re-release — which Ancel calls a "remake" — will also address some of the original platformer's pain-points, including additional checkpoints to "make it a bit less frustrating."
"I think Rayman is still a fun game, and there's a lot of content," Ancel said in the interview that was shared by fan account, Rayman Merchandise. "The pacing is a bit slow because you have a big character on the screen. It also has pixel-precise gameplay, so it's not always easy, but it's interesting that the constraints of yesterday make it still feel original today. Even though it's complex, I think there's a kind of remake planned."
"I don't remember when specifically, but it will be in HD and I think Ubisoft is adding a few more checkpoints and things like that just to make it a bit less frustrating. I think it's a nice move, because that's the only point that could be a problem for non-skilled players. But yeah, I think it's still a very nice game."
It's an extraordinary insight given the project hasn't officially been confirmed by Ubisoft yet, but it does make sense, as we were told late last year that Ubisoft is set to celebrate all things Rayman as it prepares to mark the series' 30th anniversary, including information about the "future" of the series. At the time, the official Rayman X/Twitter account had long been dormant, but last September, however, it was resurrected to bring us up to speed on what's happening in Rayman's world.
"Rayman turns 30! Join us on our official channels to celebrate an incredible legacy," the account exclaimed at the time, attaching a brief video. In the video, brand producer Loic Gounon — who has been working on the Rayman franchise since 2006 — revealed that "a very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman."
Back in October 2024, Ubisoft confirmed a new Rayman project was currently in the "exploration phase" at its Montpelier and Milan studios, after it was reported that Ancel had been contacted to act as a consultant.
Ubisoft began this year by announcing a sizable company restructure, resulting in the cancelation of six games, including its Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and a delay to a further seven titles. Two Ubisoft studios will close completely as a result of the changes, while others are subject to further layoffs.
Of the half-dozen games that have been fully scrapped, Ubisoft only publicly named one: its long-awaited Sands of Time remake that had been rebooted once already. Three of the other canceled games were new IPs, while one was a mobile game. We've received no specific details of the seven titles that Ubisoft has delayed, either, though this number does include the unannounced game once set for launch before March 31 that is widely expected to be the company's Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remaster. This will now launch in the coming financial year — so before March 31, 2027. With Ubisoft's core focus going forward being open-world and live-service games, it's not clear how — if at all — a Rayman remake fits into those plans.
Ubisoft quietly released an NFT game featuring Rayman at the end of 2024, of course. Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E. was barely advertised or given the kind of showy spotlight reserved for major releases, quite possibly because it's a Web 3 game that uses cryptocurrency and blockchain. A top-down multiplayer shooter available on PC, it featured a number of Ubisoft characters, including Rayman.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
