E3 2015 may still be in full swing, but already it’s one for the ages. Shenmue III, Final Fantasy VII and The Last Guardian were all revealed – or re-revealed – within the space of an hour on Monday evening, effectively sending the Internet at large into a nostalgia-induced tailspin. For many, that zealous joy would have been complete by an update pertaining to Beyond Good & Evil 2, Ubisoft’s dormant sequel that hasn’t been glimpsed officially since 2009.
Alas, this year’s trade show proved to be another mile-marker that the French publisher whizzed by with nary a mention of the cult series. Ubisoft’s long-in-development sequel was seemingly plunged further into disarray earlier today after IGN reported that Game Director Michael Ancel had left the project entirely. The company’s Tony Key had this to say about Ancel’s involvement:
So he’s a busy guy right now. But no…. He’s got things going on and I can’t really comment on his bandwidth. I know he’s very busy. We still work with him on things. There’s just nothing to talk about right now. We don’t really have anything to say. We appreciate how much people really want it.
Ancel’s role in development has been put under a microscope for years, with many outlets reporting that he had left Beyond Good & Evil 2 back in 2011, when really he was taking time out to oversee Rayman Origins. Since IGN’s report, Ubisoft has released an official statement denouncing the allegation, and reaffirming Ancel’s place at the helm.
What was reported by IGN is untrue. Michel is still leading creative development of several exciting projects being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier.
There’s still no official word on the status of Beyond Good & Evil 2, merely Ubisoft putting out a potential fire before it go out of control. As always, we’ll keep you posted as this story develops.
