Due to the ongoing global pandemic, video game companies have had to adapt and change, not only with how developers work on a daily basis, but how new games are marketed. Ubisoft, like other companies, has opted for digital events where it has provided fans updates on previously revealed titles such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla as well as showing off brand new unannounced games as well. With two digital showcases complete, one game that hasn't been given an update is Beyond Good & Evil 2.
In a new Tweet from the official Beyond Good and Evil 2 Twitter account, part of the reason for the silence is likely due to a major shake up with the leadership on the game. Specifically, long time Ubisoft developer and current Michel Ansel has announced his departure from the game as well as video games in general. Before his retirement, Ancel served as director on Beyond Good and Evil 2 as well as a founder of the independent studio Wild Sheep.
Alongside the new post from Ubisoft, Ancel addressed the news from his Instagram page indicating that after 30 years in the industry, he would be retiring in order to focus on wildlife, his other big passion in life. To accomplish this, his latest project involves an open wild life sanctuary dedicated to education, individuals who love nature, as well as wild animals.
No doubt this news may concern Beyond Good and Evil fans, though Ancel and Ubisoft fully admit that the development team has been largely functioning autonomously over the past few months. Even without any input from Ancel, the team has continued to push forward, even hitting an important internal milestone. However, senior producer Guillaume Brunier admits that there's still a ways to go and fans likely won't be seeing the game again until 2021. To help pass the remaining production milestones, Ubisoft is ramping up the size of the team even further.
Ultimately, the departure of Ancel is a blow to Ubisoft as he's responsible for some of the most iconic characters and franchises that have come from the company. Besides Beyond Good and Evil, Ancel is largely known for his work on the Rayman series and more recently, the Rabbids. Outside of working on his passion project Beyond Good and Evil 2, Ancel founded Wild Sheep Studio in 2014 to begin work on the PS4 open world title Wild, which has gone without a meaningful update in quite some time. Without Ancel anymore, there is real concern from fans that Wild may never see the light of day.
Beyond Good & Evil 2Â is currently in development.