Beyond Good and Evil 2 is one of those games seemingly stuck in development hell, but at least we know it seems to still be alive and now has a new lead writer. Blizzard’s former narrative designer Sarah Arellano has joined Ubisoft Montpellier in the aforementioned role, but it does suggest the game’s development is nowhere near finished.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still in development hell
It’s my turn to do the thing pic.twitter.com/gS87kZn7UT
— Sarah Arellano (@TheSugarVenom) August 3, 2024
Beyond Good and Evil 2 began development back in 2007 and has courted a lot of controversy over that 15 year period. A collaboration with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s hitRECord company that aimed to crowdsource artwork and music for the game created a backlash over the lack of compensation for creators. A playable beta originally scheduled for 2019 never appeared. The game’s Hindu imagery has drawn concerns, as has its persistent internet connection requirement. Finally, the original director, Michel Ancel, left the game and the industry altogether following allegations of toxic behavior; he now spends his time running a wildlife sanctuary.
Years have passed since we last saw any significant details about the game after the developer diaries dried up in 2019. Rumors have since spread that it was only a matter of time before Ubisoft canceled the project altogether, but insiders have since claimed the game has entered external playtesting. This week’s announcement from Arellano, as spotted by Eurogamer, suggests the game is still alive but definitely has a long way to go if the narrative isn’t complete. With experience on projects like World of Warcraft and the upcoming Saints Row reboot, we do know the game is in good hands.
In other news, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and all of its character DLC over Seasons 1-5 is getting a free trial for two weeks this month. Elsewhere, today’s Stray update has stopped the cat from falling through the world at inopportune moments.
