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Once again Ubisoft Forward 2024 has left Beyond Good and Evil fans disappointed. The game no-showed without even a teaser to go on. Ubisoft is still keeping radio silence regarding the fate of the planet Hillys. The last time we heard anything major about the game was back in E3 2018, promising a seamless, expansive world, character creation, and co-op. So, what’s the deal? Is it still in the cards or has it been quietly shelved? From our perspective, two points will decide the fate of Beyond Good and Evil 2 development and release.
Can Beyond Good and Evil 2 Development Survive Internal Conflicts?
The first thing to note is there seems to be a development problem as recently as early this year, according to the French outlet Jeuxvideo.com (via Google Translate). On one hand, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering it has overtaken Duke Nukem Forever as the longest-running vaporware. On the other hand, the fact the development team itself isn’t satisfied with the project could spell doom.
Clement, a Ubisoft Montpellier representative, said in the report that recent projects like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown “clearly” went “better than others.” Including endlessly developed ones such as Beyond Good and Evil 2, which they were once a part of. They added that their co-workers on Beyond Good and Evil 2 also look at smooth-running or upcoming projects “with envy.” Said members of the developer team have spent “their entire careers” stuck working on something the market cannot get a taste of.
This chaotic internal situation isn’t even counting the departure of Michael Ancel, the creator of the property and the Rayman series. While his resignation is surrounded by labor-related controversy, losing the creative head can easily spin the project away from its original vision. It doesn’t help that a French labor inspection reported “serious danger” regarding the well-being of Beyond Good and Evil 2‘s overworked developers.
Then there’s Yves Guillemot, the big boss at Ubisoft, who has been recorded pushing the production of so-called high-budget “AAAA titles.” The original Beyond Good and Evil itself was not a huge project back in the day, let alone a triple-A. It only had a development team of 30 employees and was met with disappointing sales upon release.
There is a huge chance that Ubisoft higher-ups see Beyond Good and Evil 2 as an unprofitable money sink. Either it’s getting the fast track to force it out and cutting corners, or it’s getting benched for other games closer to the finish line.
Do the Original Fans Still Want Beyond Good and Evil 2 Released?
Say that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is finally launched: let’s imagine the fans’ reception. The OGs who fell in love with the first game’s quirky, cartoony vibe might be feeling a bit left out with the new realistic look. Gone are the sharp edges and lots, lots of green. While photo-realistic visuals are not a bad thing on their own, stylized graphics were one of the original game’s appeals.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is set to be a prequel with an entirely new cast. Jade herself also seems to be set up as a villain for some reason. This left some folks wondering if their burning questions will ever get answered. Is Jade actually a DomZ or at least related to the evil alien race? Is she a reincarnation of this Shauni being, considering the High Priest’s statement? And how much does Pey’j actually know about all of this interstellar conflict? Is adding a custom character a proper choice for this particular narrative-heavy entry?
What about new players? Do they even know what the original Beyond Good and Evil is supposed to be about? We can use Ubisoft’s other IP as an example. Take a look at Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which felt just like an action RPG set in Ancient Greece. The main characters don’t even have a hidden blade or a part of the Templar or Assassin group. But they just had to ride coattail on the name so it will 100% sell. Lo and behold, it still became the best-selling Assassin’s Creed of its time. Will Beyond Good and Evil 2 take a similar route? We can only guess; after all, it’s tough out there for a new IP to make waves.
A Faint Glimmer of Light from a Lighthouse Called Hope
Despite all this, there’s a glimmer of hope for Beyond Good and Evil 2‘s development and release. Remember how long it took until we could finally play Skulls and Bones? That game took its sweet time in development — a whole 11 years– but it sailed the high seas eventually. Beyond Good and Evil 2 could be taking a similar “slow-cook” approach before fans can ultimately enjoy their long-awaited meal.
Back in 2022, Ubisoft confirmed to Bloomberg that it is still in “the pre-production phase.” Jade and Pey’j also appeared in Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix, the 2023 Netflix animated series. The game is definitely not forgotten among small numbers of decision-makers.
The risk? It might end up forgotten upon release, just like Skulls and Bones. The pirate game basically came and went, receiving 59 average critic scores on Opencritic and 3.4 user review scores on Metacritic. SteamDB can’t even list the active player numbers as it offers restricted API access. The player base it’s supposed to appeal to might no longer be interested in adventure games like this.
So, what’s the verdict? Well, it’s a waiting game. Beyond Good and Evil 2 development could still be going in the background, getting polished for a perfect release date. Or it’s no longer a thing, gathering digital dust in a forgotten drive. Only time will tell. For now, we keep our fingers crossed and our eyes peeled for Jade to officially break the news.
