Beyond Good & Evil 2 Remains in Pre-Production, Report Says, After 18-Year Development Cycle

Ubisoft's long-rumored sequel to Beyond Good & Evil has reportedly still not entered full production, according to a report from Origami Media, based on a French-language account translated by DeepL. The outlet said it spoke with people familiar with the project and found that the game is still in the pre-production stage, despite being first announced more than 18 years ago.

The report describes a major creative pivot. During 2019 and 2022, the project was understood to be heavily multiplayer and connected, with players matched across many planets in groups. The design drew on games such as Fortnite and Destiny, and centered on a third place, a virtual hangout where players could meet outside of active combat. Rather than leading the story, players would have supported the established heroes as supporting characters.

That concept reportedly changed over time. The team moved from larger matchmade groups to more open-ended play, then to four-player teams, and finally toward two-player experiences. The latest direction, according to Origami Media, is a solo-first adventure with no required online connection, a strong narrative, and optional co-op. The combat has also been described as now feeling more similar to Insomniac Games' Spider-Man titles.

Even after all that time, the report says Beyond Good & Evil 2 has not reached full production by Ubisoft's usual internal terminology. It remains in pre-production, with at least 250 people involved at Ubisoft Montpellier alone, and is now aiming to reach an alpha phase. The project has repeatedly missed internal creative milestones, or gates, because its identity kept evolving. Sources suggested the team kept asking whether the game was cool enough, innovative enough, or engaging enough, leading to delayed deadlines and rework.

For years, the game was shielded by strong internal support at Ubisoft, making cancellation seem unlikely. That protection has now weakened following the company's broader restructuring, which included the closure of RedLynx, downsizing of the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced team in Singapore, and reported layoffs at its German offices. According to the report, people tied to the project are now being told more plainly that their future is uncertain.

The game currently holds the record for the longest video game development time, having passed Duke Nukem Forever's 14-year run in 2022. Its closest moment to release came around 2018, when Ubisoft showed a private build to press at E3 and discussed a playable beta toward the end of 2019. That beta never appeared. More recently, the project received a new creative director, and job postings related to the game have continued to surface intermittently.