Development problems and cancellations are a normal occurance in the games industry, regardless of the studio, game size, or player demand. Some cancellations can come as a surprise to both the development team and players, however, there are some that can be seen coming by one or both sides. In the case ofBeyond Good and Evil 2, the team at Ubisoft Montpellier reportedly falls into the latter category due to various problems plaguing the team.

Since the release of the originalBeyond Good and Evilin 2003,Beyond Good and Evil 2languished in development hell for well over a decade. Hope for the game’s future was reignited at E3 2017 when Ubisoft closed out its press conference with an official trailer alongside creative director Michel Ancel and narrative director Gabrielle Shrager giving viewers a first taste of the game. Additional trailers would be aired at subsequent E3 conferences, but meaningful updates were few and far between despite assurances from Ubisoft the game was still in development.

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These appear to be empty promises from Ubisoft according to insider and writer Tom Henderson, who shared some of the alleged development woes on Twitter. He said the game’s primary problem in development is a “lack of creative direction,” which only worsened afterMichel Ancel left Ubisoft Montpellierin September 2020. He added the game is facing problems on the corporate side asBeyond Good and Evil 2allegedly “doesn’t fit Ubisoft’s future ambitions” and the dev team senses the game will be cancelled soon.

While disappointing as this news will be to some players, it may not be surprising to others givenBeyond Good and Evil 2’s development history. As mentioned above, the game has had a problematic history since it reportedly started in 2007 to the point where it is not confirmed what platforms the game would likely release on.

Reports about Ancel’s direction, or lack thereof, which came out following his departure only compounded concerns about the game’s possible future. The reportsaccused Ancel of mismanagement, leading to a toxic workplace where burnout and depressions was becoming the norm. Managers were reportedly trying to minimize the team’s interactions with Ancel who was said to be cruel to them. Ancel denied these reports, saying the accusations were a “shame” and “fake news.”

With all these reported problems, it becomes apparent why the development team believes the game will be cancelled. The reports of a toxic, overworked dev team with little to no leadership is reflective of a trend in the games industry which has been spotlighted more over the last two years. Players just need to look at the reported problems which plaguedBioWare and CD Projekt Redto understand what Ubisoft Montpellier is going through.

Beyond Good and Evil 2is currently in development.

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