Ubisoft says Rayman remaster is “the first step” — players are focused on bugs and the soundtrack

Ubisoft is pitching Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition as a comeback launchpad – but early praise is tangled with complaints

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition landed in mid-February as a surprisingly stacked collection – and Ubisoft’s CEO immediately framed it as “the first step” in reviving the series. That positioning matters: Ubisoft is not just selling nostalgia here, it’s testing whether the IP still has steam for new projects. But players and critics didn’t greet the release with unqualified joy. Early reactions zeroed in on bugs, missing audio, and a reimagined soundtrack that replaced Rémi Gazel’s original music with Christophe Héral’s take – an artistic choice that has proved divisive.

• Ubisoft calls the compilation a brand revival “first step”; CEO Yves Guillemot teases more Rayman news soon.
• The Digital Eclipse collection bundles five historic ports, 120+ bonus levels, a playable SNES prototype and a 50+ minute documentary.
• Players flagged performance issues, missing French audio and complained about the new soundtrack — Ubisoft may add a toggle, but that remains unconfirmed.
• This release doubles as a low-risk litmus test for whether Rayman can justify bigger investments after Ubisoft’s recent restructuring.

Breaking down what’s actually in the package

Digital Eclipse’s Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition (official launch: February 13, 2026) is one of those compilation releases that tries to be everything to everyone. It includes five historical builds of the original Rayman — PlayStation, Atari Jaguar, MS‑DOS (with extra content), Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance — plus 120+ levels drawn from community packs like Rayman Designer, a playable SNES prototype, accessibility options (rewind, invincibility), and an interactive documentary running over 50 minutes. On PC the price opened at $19.99; a physical edition is up for pre-order around $29.99 with a June release in some regions.

Why Ubisoft is treating this as a ‘first step’

Yves Guillemot told outlets that this remaster is part of a broader plan to dust off Rayman. That fits a pattern: publishers increasingly use remasters and compilations to rebuild audience interest before greenlighting larger, riskier projects. Ubisoft has also been through a visible period of pruning and restructuring, which makes a low-cost, nostalgia-driven release an obvious move. Job listings and studio mentions have stoked rumours of a new AAA Rayman, but there’s nothing concrete yet — this release reads like a probe to measure demand without committing to a full new game.

The real flashpoint: the soundtrack and launch stability

Where the Anniversary Edition stumbles is not the number of extras but the execution. Several early reviews and forum threads flagged bugs — performance hitches and missing French audio among them — and critics were split on the GBA build’s cramped presentation. The soundtrack change has been the loudest complaint: Christophe Héral’s reimagined score replaces Rémi Gazel’s original tunes, and that matters because Gazel’s music is a big part of Rayman’s identity for many players.

Ubisoft has reportedly heard the backlash and “may” add an option to let players toggle between scores, but that’s currently unverified and dependent on follow-up patches. The company needs to move faster here: toggles and stability fixes are the sort of post-launch patches players expect, and they’ll influence whether this “first step” builds goodwill or fuels cynicism.

What this means for players and the franchise

For players: if you’re into preservation and want a museum-quality buffet of Rayman permutations, this edition delivers a lot of content for a modest price. If you’re emotionally attached to the original presentation — music, specific audio assets, or a flawless launch — be warned: the initial release is rough around the edges.

For the franchise: this is a calculated, low-risk step. If sales and player sentiment are strong after patches, Ubisoft can justify larger investments (and the murmurs about a AAA Rayman will grow louder). If player reaction stays dominated by complaints, the “first step” risks being a final misstep.

What to watch next

• Patches that address performance issues, missing audio and the soundtrack toggle question.
• Any concrete announcements from Ubisoft about new Rayman projects or studio assignments (rumors point to Ubisoft Milan involvement).
• Sales numbers and review aggregates after the initial week or two of release.

TL;DR

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is a content-rich compilation that doubles as Ubisoft’s public test for reviving the brand. It contains rare ports and extras, but launch bugs and a controversial new soundtrack have tempered enthusiasm. Ubisoft’s next moves — patches and clear roadmap signals — will determine whether this is a promising first step or an awkward nostalgia stunt.