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Ubisoft writer confirms ongoing work on long-delayed Beyond Good and Evil 2
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Ubisoft narrative director and lead writer Rik Godwin has confirmed that he has worked on Beyond Good and Evil 2 for the past two months, providing a fresh indication that the long-delayed sequel remains in active development. His authorised announcement suggests Ubisoft is still allocating staff to the project despite its severe financial pressures and extensive restructuring.
Announced in May 2008, Beyond Good and Evil 2 has surpassed Duke Nukem Forever as the longest-in-development AAA game, with its last major public showing being a 2017 trailer. Ubisoft reported a €1.3 billion operating loss for the year ending March 2026, cancelled six games and cut 1,200 jobs, while original director Michel Ancel left the company in 2020.
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In short
- Beyond Good and Evil 2 remains in development.
- Ubisoft writer Rik Godwin joined the project two months ago.
- The sequel has been in production for over 18 years.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Godwin's statement was explicitly authorised rather than an accidental leak, and the year in which Beyond Good and Evil 2 surpassed Duke Nukem Forever as the longest-in-development AAA title was confirmed as 2022.
- 2 months ago Godwin's role was identified as both narrative director and lead writer, and his confirmation emerged as an officially authorised statement rather than informal disclosure.
- 2 months ago Ubisoft narrative director Rik Godwin publicly confirmed that work continues on Beyond Good and Evil 2, noting he has spent the past two months on the project whilst the company faces a €1.3 billion operating loss and six game cancellations.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates for continuing development argue that Beyond Good and Evil remains a culturally significant franchise with genuine fan demand, and that abandoning the project after 18 years would waste accumulated creative investment and institutional knowledge. They contend that completing the sequel could generate substantial revenue and rebuild goodwill with players, whereas cancellation would signal creative defeat and further damage Ubisoft's reputation during an already difficult period.
The case against
Critics contend that during severe financial crisis—€1.3 billion loss, mass layoffs, game cancellations—every resource must serve immediate revenue recovery, and a notoriously troubled project with unclear creative vision cannot justify ongoing spending when other active titles need support. They argue the extended development hell itself signals fundamental problems that continued funding will not solve, making it an unjustifiable allocation of scarce resources better deployed on projects with clearer paths to completion and faster revenue generation.
Explained simply
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a video game sequel announced by publisher Ubisoft in 2008. The original Beyond Good and Evil came out in the early 2000s and developed a devoted following, leading to Ubisoft committing to make a sequel. The new game has been in continuous development ever since, making it the longest-in-development major video game on record—a distinction it claimed in 2022 by surpassing the infamous Duke Nukem Forever.
The project has faced considerable upheaval over nearly two decades. Michel Ancel, the original game's visionary director who led work on the sequel, departed Ubisoft in 2020. The game's last substantial public appearance was a trailer shown in 2017, after which it largely vanished from view. For years, it seemed the project might simply be abandoned without announcement.
Ubisoft itself has encountered serious financial strain, posting losses of €1.3 billion in its most recent financial year and cutting 1,200 jobs whilst cancelling six games. The fact that developers are still actively assigned to Beyond Good and Evil 2—as recently confirmed by its narrative director—suggests the company remains committed to finishing it despite these pressures. The project's status has become emblematic of the broader challenges facing major video game publishers.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Beyond Good and Evil 2 Shows Surprising New Signs of Life”.