The Rogue Prince of Persia celebrated its first anniversary last week, and Evil Empire had been rather busy putting together its celebratory update. New modes, new challenges, new weapons, and new ways to make enemies’ lives miserable. There are even animal companions now.
The huge Anniversary Update arrived on September 17th, just over a year after The Rogue Prince of Persia left Early Access in August 2025. It’s completely free, available across all platforms, and adds quite a lot for anyone looking for an excuse to head back to Ctesiphon. Although, let’s be honest, some of you probably didn’t need one.
Ubisoft says the roguelite has become one of its best-rated launches, currently sitting at 90% positive reviews on Steam.
So, let’s take a closer look at what’s changed if you missed it…
Fancy Fighting Everyone at Once?
Let’s start with Combat Zones. These are new arenas where you’ll face waves of enemies that get increasingly difficult as you work your way through each level. Fortunately, you’re getting a little help.
A new crowd-control mechanic lets you freeze and slow enemies, which should make things slightly easier when the screen starts filling with people who would very much like the Prince dead. If you’d rather spend less time fighting and more time running away extremely quickly, there’s something for you too.
Speedrun Mode adds built-in timers and challenges players to find the fastest routes through the game. Parkour Mode, meanwhile, leans even harder into wall-running, traversal, routing, and agility. Basically, if you’ve spent the last year perfecting the Prince’s movement, it’s time to prove it.
There’s Always Tomorrow
Then there’s Daily Awakening. Every day brings a new run with changing modifiers and specific requirements, giving you something different to tackle whenever you jump back into the game. If that sounds a little too friendly, don’t worry, Nyamtur Trials are also here.
These high-risk challenges are scattered throughout the biomes and promise legendary loot for anyone good enough to complete them. Evil Empire has also added tougher puzzles and combat rooms designed to push your skills considerably further.
The Palace Has Had Some Work Done
The game itself has been given a bit of a shake-up too. Earlier biomes are now shorter, while the overall difficulty has been increased. The idea is to improve the pacing and keep that lovely parkour flow moving rather than having runs start to drag.
The Palace has received an even bigger makeover. The final biome has been completely redesigned and restructured, with Evil Empire making it much tougher to better match the powerful builds players tend to have by the time they reach it.
Most Importantly, There Are Animals
There’s new equipment too, including a slingshot weapon and a trap-like tool that gives you another way to deal with enemies. But we seriously need to talk about the animals. Companions can now join the Prince on his adventures through Ctesiphon, and they’re not simply there to look cute while you repeatedly launch yourself off walls.
Each one can provide passive or active support during combat and exploration. Useful AND adorable.
It all makes for a surprisingly big first birthday for The Rogue Prince of Persia. The game has changed enormously since its original Early Access launch, reached version 1.0 last year, passed one million players, and now Evil Empire is finding even more ways to mess with its combat, parkour, challenges, and runs.
If you’ve been away from Ctesiphon for a while, you’re coming back to a rather different place. Just don’t expect the Palace to welcome you home.