It has been more than nine years since Ubisoft showed off Beyond Good & Evil 2 at E3 2017, and according to a new report, the game still has not officially left pre-production.
The update comes from French outlet Origami, where journalist Gauthier "Gautoz" Andres shared what he learned about the project in the latest edition of his Serious Gaming newsletter earlier this week. The report paints a picture of a game that has gone through several major identity changes and is still trying to clear the checkpoint that would move it into full production.
Hundreds Of Developers, Still No Production Green Light
According to the report, Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still in pre-production even though at least 250 people are working on it at Ubisoft Montpellier alone. The team is reportedly aiming to reach its alpha milestone, which at Ubisoft also serves as the "gate" that would officially move the game into production.
That gate has been a recurring problem. Sources told the outlet that the project has historically missed every one of its creative gates, and that the targets have been pushed back again and again over the years. With Ubisoft going through rounds of layoffs and restructuring, developers have reportedly been told that nobody knows what will happen when the next gate review arrives.
The report says the uncertainty has hit morale, with some team members feeling a growing loss of meaning after spending so many years on a game that still has no release date. One developer with several years on the project offered a blunt assessment, which translates roughly to "Finding BGE2's original sin, I don't think we'll manage it in the project's lifetime, whether it ships or not."
From Online Sandbox To Solo-First Adventure
The most interesting part of the report is how much the vision for Beyond Good & Evil 2 has reportedly changed since it was first revealed.
Between roughly 2019 and 2022, the game was being built as a heavily multiplayer experience. The idea was to create a "third place" for players, an always-connected online space with matchmaking, and sources said games like Fortnite and Destiny were used as reference points during that period.
That plan was eventually scaled back. The game shifted toward smaller groups of players, then to teams of four, and later to teams of two. Now, the report says the game has landed on a "solo first" approach. It is being designed as a single-player adventure with no mandatory online connection and a strong focus on story, while co-op is still planned as an option for players who want to team up.
The gameplay has reportedly evolved along the way too. At one point, the project was described internally as something like a Zelda in space. Its current combat is said to recall the action in Insomniac's Spider-Man games. The game also continues to run on Ubisoft's in-house Voyager engine, which was built specifically for the project's ambitious scale.
A Long And Winding Road
Beyond Good & Evil 2 was first teased back in 2008 before going quiet for years. It returned with a big cinematic trailer at E3 2017, which revealed it as a prequel to the 2003 cult classic, set in a vast space-faring universe. Ubisoft followed up with gameplay demos and showcases over the next couple of years, but public updates slowed to a crawl after that.
The project has also become famous for its development time. It passed Duke Nukem Forever's record for the longest development period of any AAA game, a milestone that has become a running joke among fans who are still waiting for any sign of a release.
There have been a few small signs of life recently. In late September, a narrative designer from Ubisoft Bordeaux announced they had joined the project, which got fans talking about whether the game was finally gaining momentum. The new report suggests there is still a long way to go.
What This Means For Fans
It is important to note that this is a report based on anonymous sources, and Ubisoft has not publicly addressed the claims. Plans at the company have been shifting quickly over the past year, and the game's future could look very different depending on how its next gate review goes.
For now, it seems the dream of returning to the world of Jade and Pey'j is still alive, even if it remains a long way off. The move to a story-driven, solo-first design may also be welcome news for longtime fans who were worried the sequel was turning into a live-service game.
Do you still believe Beyond Good & Evil 2 will eventually come out, or do you think Ubisoft should finally pull the plug?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.