Beyond Good & Evil 2 was actual vaporware for more than a decade, but it is still coming out…eventually. A scarceness of updates can be easily mistaken as a lack of progress, but those updates do exist, and when connected to everything else Ubisoft has disclosed about the game so far, and what is known about the company’s other properties, they can help players guess relatively safely about a probable release window.
Beyond Good & Evil 2‘s road to completion has been lengthy and packed with surprises. Fans were left wanting more in 2003 - both because the first title was an excellent game and because the story was left so open. Then, in 2009, an unexpected trailer for a sequel leaked online. Afterwards, for approximately a decade, the updates stopped, then Ubisoft surprised gamers worldwide by unveiling the long-awaited Beyond Good & Evil sequel at E3 2017 with a cinematic trailer. The new game would be a prequel, with an expansive universe filled with lively characters. One year later they offered an updated look to the title which dazzled spectators with its scale.
This shift in direction and scope also came with a change to the way developers communicated with fans. Although rare, Ubisoft’s updates show Beyond Good & Evil 2 is undoubtedly progressing - steadily, but slowly. Their three main channels of communication are an official Twitter account, the game’s site and forums, and a YouTube channel. Up to now, they have uploaded six livestreams to YouTube. The last of those was recorded at the Ubisoft Experience during Paris Games Week, on the 31st of October. It provides insight on character customization and reveals some 3D models, but nothing as interesting as new gameplay. A promised playable beta for close to the end of 2019 also hasn’t showed up - yet. Connecting these dots shows Beyond Good & Evil 2’s gameplay is probably closer to the alpha state Screen Rant got the chance to see in 2018, rather than approaching final release status.
Ubisoft is predicted to deliver nine AAA titles during the next two fiscal years. With such a lengthy development nearing completion, it’s realistic to assume Beyond Good & Evil 2 is among them, although Ubisoft hasn’t announced all of the titles the aforementioned statement includes. Still, for the three Ubisoft has revealed, the company confirmed they will offer upgraded next-gen console versions for all of them. These titles include Gods and Monsters, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and Watch Dogs Legion. Predicted to drop close to the next-gen consoles, they’ll release sometime in 2020.
After those, six more games remain, and it’s almost a given that among them Ubisoft will reveal a new Assassin’s Creed, possibly a new Far Cry or even the long-rumored new Splinter Cell. As more popular franchises, Ubisoft would likely give them a higher priority and also release one or two of them before Beyond Good & Evil 2 - until the end of 2020. This would leave three or four titles for release in 2021, with Beyond Good & Evil 2 being one of them. Since no matter how slow its progress, Beyond Good & Evil 2‘s development is probably ahead of the others and, thus, closer to release, so it will probably come out beforehand, placing its release sometime during the first half of 2021. Until any official announcements from Ubisoft, though, the official release date remains To Be Announced.
Next: Beyond Good and Evil 2 Concept Art Released
Source: Ubisoft
