Rayman Creator Michel Ancel Shares Details on Unannounced Rayman Remake

Fresh insights into an unannounced Rayman remake have surfaced, this time directly from the series' creator, Michel Ancel. In a recent interview with RetroGamer, Ancel shed light on the secret project, clarifying that it's not just a simple remaster with upgraded visuals. Instead, he describes it as a "remake" that will tackle some of the original platformer's challenges, such as adding more checkpoints to reduce frustration for players.

Ancel remarked in the interview, shared by the fan account Rayman Merchandise, "I think Rayman is still a fun game, and there's a lot of content. 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." He added, "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."

This revelation is particularly notable as Ubisoft has yet to officially confirm the project. However, it aligns with previous hints about celebrating Rayman's 30th anniversary. Last year, the official Rayman X/Twitter account, which had been inactive, was revived with a post stating, "Rayman turns 30! Join us on our official channels to celebrate an incredible legacy," accompanied by a video. In that video, brand producer Loic Gounon, who has worked on the franchise since 2006, disclosed that "a very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman."

In October 2024, Ubisoft acknowledged that a new Rayman project was in the "exploration phase" at its Montpellier and Milan studios, following reports that Ancel had been approached as a consultant. This comes amid broader company changes, as Ubisoft began 2025 with a major restructuring that led to the cancellation of six games, including the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and delays for seven others. Two studios will close, and further layoffs are expected. Among the canceled titles, only Sands of Time was publicly named; the others included three new IPs and one mobile game. The delayed games, which may include an anticipated Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remaster, are now set to launch before March 31, 2027.

With Ubisoft shifting its focus toward open-world and live-service games, it's uncertain how a Rayman remake fits into this strategy. Additionally, in late 2024, Ubisoft quietly released Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E., an NFT game featuring Rayman and other characters, though it received minimal promotion due to its Web 3 and blockchain elements.