Beyond Good & Evil 2 Survives Ubisoft's Major Project Cull

In a sweeping restructuring that eliminated several high-profile projects, Beyond Good & Evil 2 has achieved what many fans thought impossible: survival. Ubisoft's recent project cull, which officially ended the long-awaited Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, surprisingly did not include a mention of the sequel, confirming it remains in active development.

The news has sent waves of relief and disbelief through the game's dedicated community. After nearly two decades in development, the project continues to hold the Guinness World Record for the longest development cycle in video game history. Its persistence through multiple studio reorganizations, leadership changes, and now a major corporate cull has left fans and industry observers alike stunned.

Ubisoft's recent announcement marked a significant shift in the company's development strategy. The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, a project that had been in the works for at least six years, was officially cancelled. This decision was part of a broader restructuring that also eliminated five other unnamed games from the company's pipeline.

Despite the extensive cuts, Beyond Good & Evil 2 was conspicuously absent from the list of cancelled projects. This omission signals that the game has been classified as an ongoing asset for the company. Industry reporting confirms that the project is indeed still alive as the dust settles from the recent announcements.

The financial implications of such a decision are substantial. The game's continued development is believed to have cost over $500 million internally, a figure that would require a significant write-down if the project were to be cancelled. By keeping it active, Ubisoft can continue to list it as an ongoing investment.

The reaction from the Beyond Good & Evil community has been one of sheer astonishment. Long-suffering fans, who have waited nearly two decades for the sequel, took to social media to express their disbelief at the game's resilience.

It's insane this game is still in production and survived. Don't get me wrong, I want to play it but the cancelation of the Prince of Persia remake hit really hard. A project that would arguably cost them less and require less resources than Beyond Good & Evil.

Comments across platforms like Reddit described the survival as "miraculous," "insane," and "too big to fail." One fan humorously noted that the game would likely "survive World War 3," though another quipped it still wouldn't be out by the armistice. The sentiment underscores the project's legendary status within gaming circles.

The road to this point has been anything but smooth. Beyond Good & Evil 2 first entered early development in 2007, led by series creator Michel Ancel and his team at Ubisoft Montpellier. For much of the following decade, development was paused as the studio focused on other projects.

The game was re-announced with significant fanfare in 2017, showcasing an ambitious in-engine concept featuring space flight and multiple solar systems. However, development continued to struggle. The project faced significant setbacks with the departure of Michel Ancel from Ubisoft and the subsequent death of its creative lead, Emil Morel.

Despite these challenges, work has coalesced in recent years. The sequel's characters received intriguing cameos in the Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition. To steady the ship, a new creative director, Fawzi Mesmar—a veteran of DICE and King—has been brought on board to guide the project forward.

With its survival confirmed, Beyond Good & Evil 2 will now be overseen by Ubisoft's reorganized "Creative House 4" division. This division is specifically dedicated to narrative-driven and fantasy games, suggesting the project will receive focused attention aligned with its core strengths.

However, fans should not expect a release date announcement anytime soon. The game remains without a launch window, and it is possible it was one of the titles Ubisoft delayed to receive further polish. The project's internal valuation and long development cycle mean it will likely continue to be a long-term investment for the publisher.

As one of the most ambitious and long-running projects in modern gaming, its continued existence is a testament to its unique vision. While the Prince of Persia remake has fallen, Beyond Good & Evil 2 endures, defying industry expectations and the passage of time.

The survival of Beyond Good & Evil 2 amidst Ubisoft's major restructuring is a remarkable story of persistence in the gaming industry. It highlights how a project with significant internal investment and a dedicated fanbase can weather corporate storms that claim other titles.

For now, the game remains in a state of development purgatory—alive, but without a release date. Its journey from a 2007 concept to a 2026 survivor is a unique chapter in video game history, one that continues to captivate observers and fans alike.