Ubisoft is developing "Rayman Legends Retold" as a stepping stone to restart the Rayman series, going beyond a recreation of a past hit. It plans to keep the original controls while rebuilding its development team and technology base to lay groundwork for future new titles.

On Sept. 22, TechRadar reported that Rayman brand producer Loic Gounon (로익 구농) said at a recent hands-on event, "Restarting the series was the plan." Gounon said the company considered a completely new title but, with a new development team and engine needed, a remake that modernises an existing game was a realistic starting point.

Based on "Rayman Legends," released in 2013, the new title replaces its hand-drawn-style 2D graphics with 3D art across the board. It keeps the side-view platform game structure. It adds new levels and expanded cinematics, and introduces full voice acting for the first time in the series.

The developers chose 3D graphics with the series' future direction in mind. Gounon stressed, "We wanted to revive Rayman's adventure identity while leaving open the possibility of developing into a 3D adventure going forward." The 3D graphic assets produced for this title could also serve as a foundation for future projects.

It preserves the play feel familiar to existing fans by combining 2 game engines. The UbiArt Framework used in the original handles game rules, progression flow and physical responses, while the latest Snowdrop engine covers 3D rendering and animation for characters and backgrounds, as well as audio. The developers said they focused on maintaining the original level design and control response.

Responding to preferences for the original 2D art style, Gounon acknowledged differences in taste but said, "Once you experience the actual gameplay, voice acting and 3D cutscenes, you will be able to understand the intent behind the changes." "Rayman Legends Retold" is set to be released on Dec. 3, delayed from Oct. 1, for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.