Developer Evil Empire has laid out a detailed spring 2026 roadmap for The Rogue Prince of Persia, signaling that the roguelite action-platformer still has plenty of life left in it. Despite flying somewhat under the radar since its 1.0 launch last year, the studio — which is also working on the next Castlevania title — announced two substantial updates planned for the coming months, according to reports from IGN and Eurogamer.
The first major patch, dubbed the “Breathless Update,” is expected to enter public beta around the end of March before a broader rollout in April. True to its name, the update aims to make the entire gameplay experience faster and more intense. A significant rework of the opening hour is at the heart of these changes, with tighter pacing, restructured content unlocks, and redesigned early biomes that emphasize the game’s signature wall-run mechanics while ramping up the challenge.
Veteran players will also find plenty of new toys to experiment with. The Breathless Update introduces the Freeze element alongside a new ranged weapon, the slingshot, expanding the game’s elemental combat options. Arenas — combat encounters that lock players into a zone and force them to survive successive enemy waves — will provide a fresh test of skill. Perhaps most notably, the addition of weapon affixes promises to inject greater variety into each run, giving players meaningful choices about which gear to prioritize as they progress.
A second patch, tentatively called the “Endgame Update,” is penciled in for early May, though Evil Empire acknowledges its scope could shift. Current plans include the Nyamtur trials, a risk-and-reward system that spans all levels, a mysterious new parkour mode, and a rework of the Palace biome. The studio has also teased the arrival of challenges and pets, though details on both remain scarce. The developers have hinted that this update could end up being even larger than the first once its contents are finalized.
To kick off the new year on a festive note, Evil Empire has already released a free in-game tool celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Horse. The Flaming Horses tool summons a stampede of fiery steeds that barrel forward and scorch everything in their path. The team noted that the addition was a natural fit, citing the deep significance of horses in Persian culture — from the famed Nisean breed and the ancient Royal Road to the mythical steed Rakhsh from the Shahnameh epic.
The roadmap arrives at a bittersweet time for Prince of Persia enthusiasts, as the long-promised Sands of Time Remake was among several Ubisoft projects shelved earlier this year. Still, Evil Empire’s continued investment in The Rogue Prince of Persia offers fans a compelling reason to keep running along walls and defying fate well into 2026.