Rayman Legends Retold Aims to Restart Franchise, Producer Says

Gounon said the decision to remake Rayman Legends was less about fixing the original, which was released in 2013 to critical acclaim and remains playable on PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2 through backward compatibility, than about preparing for the series' future. "The plan was that we want to restart the franchise," he said. "Without an engine, you don't make a game. Without a team, you don't make a game. So the initial point has been: we need to rebuild the team, and we need to adopt a new engine."

He added that the team also considered making a brand new game but was humble about what it could achieve. Remakes are often used in the games industry to help new teams become familiar with an existing intellectual property and build the skills needed for future entries. Gounon said the Retold team still includes some original Legends developers, and they felt the balance between remaking a beloved game and bringing innovation to it was the best starting point.

One of the biggest changes in Retold is the shift from the original's hand-painted 2D look to a fully 3D art style, though the game largely maintains a side-on perspective. Gounon said this move shows where the franchise is headed. He noted that Rayman began on PlayStation with a 2D game when most titles were 3D, while Rayman 2 and Rayman 3 were 3D in both rendering and gameplay, and Origins later returned to full 2D. With a 2D engine, he said, it is harder to make a 3D game afterward, so the team wanted to return to the franchise's adventure DNA without preventing a move toward 3D adventure.

Gounon did not hide his ambitions for the series. "We believe that this IP has a future," he said, describing the remake as only the beginning "if everything goes according to plan" and if it proves popular. He also indicated that part of the move to 3D was so the team could build a bank of 3D assets, presumably for future use.

Although Retold is geared toward new players, Gounon said the team worked to maintain the original game's feel so returning players would not be disappointed. The remake uses the original UbiArt Framework engine underneath new graphics powered by the latest version of Snowdrop. Gounon said the team did not want to disturb the game feeling, character reactions, physics, or the muscle memory players have with a platformer. He described the original level design as unmatched and on par with the best games in the world, such as Mario, and said its quality and flow could not be compromised.

In practice, UbiArt Framework powers the game mechanics, flow, 2D animation, and 2D drawing, while Snowdrop handles animation, character art, environment art, and audio. Gounon said the team integrated UbiArt Framework game logic within Snowdrop's game logic, giving it the best of both worlds: a strong engine for levels and gameplay, and full 3D rendering on top of the original game's underlying quality.

The new art direction has drawn criticism. "Nothing can outdo the beautiful hand-drawn style," reads one of the highest-rated comments cited by TechRadar. Even so, Gounon's comments make clear that Rayman Legends Retold is positioned as a foundation for more Rayman games, with the 3D remake serving as both a reintroduction and a technical test for what may come next.

Editor's Summary

Rayman Legends Retold is set for December 3, 2026, as a 3D side-scrolling remake that uses Snowdrop and UbiArt Framework. Brand producer Loïc Gounon says it is intended to restart the franchise and that the team believes the IP has a future. The project adds new levels, revamped visuals, and full voice acting while retaining the original gameplay feel.