Ubisoft Confirms Beyond Good And Evil 2 Is Still Coming
At this point, most of you are probably "beyond" caring about Beyond Good and Evil 2, but trust us, it's out there somewhere.
Taking over from Duke Nukem Forever's dubious honour of having the longest development time for a AAA game, it's 15 years (and counting) since Beyond Good and Evil 2 was first revealed to the wall.
What's Going On With Beyond Good And Evil 2?
Ubisoft is something of a shaky studio right now, and while Skull & Bones can't quite rival this lengthy development, the nautical adventure has also been sailing over the horizon for what seems like an eternity.
With another Skull & Bones delay, Ubisoft has seen its stock prices drop and have been forced to reevaluate its slate. There have been a slew of cancellations, but fear not, Beyond Good and Evil 2 isn't one of them.
Speaking to Eurogamer, an Ubisoft spokesperson explained, "Beyond Good and Evil 2's development is under way and the team is hard at work to deliver on its ambitious promise."
If you've been keeping up with Beyond Good and Evil 2 troubled production, you'll know the 2020 departure of creator Michel Ancel amidst investigations into toxic behaviour was another setback.
Although Ancel promised the project was in safe hands, we've not seen even a glimmer of footage in years. Former Blizzard writer Sarah Arellano joined in August 2022, but apart from that, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is once again "lost in space."
It's a sad state of affairs, especially considering 2003's Beyond Good and Evil was originally envisioned as the first part of trilogy. We'll likely be in the ground by that point - if it's even still the plan.
What Can We Expect From Beyond Good And Evil 2
The big surprise is that Beyond Good and Evil 2 will be a prequel, which supposedly takes place a generation before Jade is born. Still, a glossy cinematic trailer from E3 2018 blew us away with its graphics but left us confused when it featured Jade and Pey'j.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 presumably has something to do with cloning, but by the time it eventually comes out, that could've changed. Ancel previously confirmed that footage that emerged in 2007/2008 was from a different version before things were restarted.
The first game literally threw the kitchen sink at us, with Pokemon Snap-inspired photography, the races of Diddy Kong Racing, and Zelda-esque dungeons. It remains to be seen whether Beyond Good and Evil 2 will dial things back for the sequel.
Ubisoft is becoming known as THE studio for drawn-out development, which is hardly a badge of honour. For those who loved Beyond Good and Evil and are still tempted by the prospect of another game, we're still clinging on for dear life.
