It has been nearly two decades since Jade and Pey'j first bickered their way into our hearts on the PlayStation 2. If you're reading this, you probably remember that cliffhanger ending. You know the one—the cliffhanger that has been sitting there, unresolved, since 2003. Beyond Good and Evil 2 is now officially the world record holder for the longest development period for a "triple-A" video game, having surpassed the infamous Duke Nukem Forever.
It’s a mess. Honestly.
But it’s a fascinating mess. Most games that disappear for this long are quietly canceled in a boardroom meeting between people in suits who care more about quarterly dividends than anthropomorphic pigs. Yet, Ubisoft Montpellier keeps insisting it's alive. They’ve shown us tech demos. They’ve shown us cinematic trailers that look like $200 million movies. They’ve even shown us gameplay of a monkey flying a jetpack through a massive, seamless statue of a deity. And then? Silence. For years.
The Identity Crisis of System 4
What most people get wrong about this project is the assumption that it's a direct sequel. It’s not. Somewhere along the line, Michel Ancel—the creator of the original series who has since left the industry—decided that a simple "what happens next" story wasn't enough. Instead, the team pivoted to a massive, procedurally generated prequel set in System 4 during the 24th century.
You aren't playing as Jade. You’re playing as a custom-made space pirate.
The scope is frankly terrifying. We are talking about a game that tries to simulate entire planetary systems where you can fly from a tiny tea shop on a crowded street, hop into a ship, blast through the atmosphere, and dock with a capital ship in orbit—all without a loading screen. That is the "dream" Ubisoft has been selling. But in the world of game development, "dream" is often a synonym for "technical nightmare."
The sheer scale is likely why the game hasn't come out. When you try to build a universe where every millimeter is interactable and every sunset is mathematically calculated based on the planet's rotation, you run into the "Everything Problem." How do you make a world that big actually fun? Empty space is realistic, but it’s boring.
A Timeline of Broken Promises and Reboots
Let’s look at the facts because the history of Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a literal odyssey of rebrands.
- 2008: The first teaser drops. It shows a fly buzzing around Pey'j’s nose. It looks like a natural evolution of the first game’s art style.
- 2017: E3 happens. Ubisoft drops a bombshell cinematic trailer with a swearing monkey and a very young, very angry-looking Jade. The internet loses its mind. This is when the "Space Pirate" RPG concept was solidified.
- 2018: We get a "Space Monkey Program" update showing actual pre-alpha gameplay. It looks ambitious. It looks expensive.
- 2020: Michel Ancel leaves Ubisoft Montpellier. He says he wants to work in a wildlife sanctuary. Reports surface about "turbulent" development and leadership issues.
- 2023: Ubisoft confirms the game is still in development despite canceling three other unannounced projects.
- 2024: The Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition launches. It includes a new mission that directly links the first game to the upcoming prequel. This was the first "real" sign of life in years.
It’s easy to be cynical. You’ve probably seen the headlines about the studio being under investigation by French labor officials or the tragic passing of the game’s creative director, Emile Morel. These are real-world hurdles that have slowed things down significantly. This isn't just a game; it's a project that has survived multiple console generations, CEOs, and global shifts in how games are even monetized.
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Why Does This Game Still Matter?
Why don't we just let it go?
The reason Beyond Good and Evil 2 still dominates the "Most Anticipated" lists—even after all this time—is the soul of the original. The first game wasn't just a Zelda-clone. It was a political thriller about journalism, propaganda, and government conspiracy. It had a heart that most modern open-world games lack.
Ubisoft is betting that the "Space Monkey Program"—their community initiative to let fans contribute art and music to the game—will give this massive universe that same lived-in, soulful feeling. They used Joseph Gordon-Levitt's HitRecord platform to crowdsource assets. Some people hated that, calling it "spec work." Others loved the idea of their garage band's song playing on a radio in a futuristic Indian-inspired space port.
The Technical Elephant in the Room: Voyager
The engine powering this beast is called "Voyager." It was built from the ground up because apparently, nothing else could handle the scale. Think about that for a second. While most studios are moving to Unreal Engine 5 to save time and money, Ubisoft Montpellier spent years building their own proprietary toolset just for this one game.
This is the ultimate "sunk cost" scenario. You don't spend a decade building an engine just to scrap the game. That’s the strongest piece of evidence we have that this thing will, eventually, see the light of day. It might not look like the 2017 trailer. It might be smaller in scope than they originally promised. But it exists.
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The Jade Misconception
If you’ve watched the trailers, you’ve seen a version of Jade who looks like a villain. This has sparked endless Reddit theories. Is she a clone? Is this a time-loop situation?
The reality is likely tied to the lore of the "DomZ"—the soul-sucking aliens from the first game. In the prequel, we’re seeing the origin of the conflict. We’re seeing a world where hybrids (animal-human people) are treated as slaves, used for dangerous space mining and labor. It’s a dark, gritty setup that contrasts heavily with the Saturday-morning-cartoon vibe of the original.
Some fans hate this. They want the whimsical, colorful world of Hillys. But the developers seem intent on telling a "mature" story. Whether that shift in tone works or feels like an edgy teenager's reimagining of a classic remains to be seen.
What You Should Actually Expect
Don't expect a release date anytime soon. If 2026 rolls around and we get a beta, consider that a miracle.
The game is likely undergoing "feature creep" management. In game dev, this is when you keep adding cool ideas until the project becomes unfinishable. New leadership at Ubisoft Montpellier is reportedly trying to "re-scope" the project to something that can actually be shipped.
If you want to keep tabs on Beyond Good and Evil 2, the best thing to do is play the 20th Anniversary Edition. The "Gallery" mode in that remaster contains concept art and lore bits specifically designed to bridge the gap. It’s a breadcrumb trail. Ubisoft is testing the waters to see if the audience still cares.
Actionable Steps for the BG&E Fan:
- Check your Ubisoft Connect account: If you signed up for the Space Monkey Program years ago, keep an eye on your email. That’s where the first closed technical tests will be announced, not on Twitter.
- Ignore the "Canceled" rumors: Unless you hear it directly from a financial report to investors, the game is "Active." Ubisoft is legally required to be honest with shareholders, and they still list it as an active project.
- Temper your expectations for "Seamlessness": No game has ever truly mastered the "planet-to-space" transition without some level of compromise. Look at Starfield. Look at No Man's Sky. If BG&E2 achieves it, expect the graphics to take a hit in other areas.
- Support the original: The best way to ensure the sequel gets finished is to show there's a market for the IP. The Anniversary Edition is the most stable way to play the classic today.
This game is a unicorn. It’s a relic of an era when Ubisoft took massive, weird risks. Whether it's a masterpiece or a disaster, it's going to be a landmark moment in gaming history simply because it survived the development hell that kills almost everything else.
Next Steps for Researching Beyond Good and Evil 2
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To get the most accurate picture of the current state of the game, you should look into the recent leadership changes at Ubisoft Montpellier. Search for reports regarding the appointment of new creative leads following the 2023 internal restructuring. Additionally, reviewing the "Missions Narrative" added to the Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition provides the most up-to-date lore canon that connects the 2003 original to the upcoming prequel. Focusing on these two areas will give you a clearer view of the game's direction than re-watching old trailers from 2017.