Beyond Good and Evil 2’s Time to Release Has Already Come and Gone
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the would-be sequel to Ubisoft’s 2003 action-adventure game that hasn’t had any spin-off titles, sequels, or continuations since it arrived on the sixth generation of consoles. The sequel was first announced 18 years ago, with a cinematic trailer coming almost 10 years later in 2017, with another follow-up teaser debuting the next year. Fast forward to 2026, and it has been 23 years since the first game’s release and close to 10 years since fans have received another trailer or substantial update.
Recently, the team behind Beyond Good and Evil 2 hired a new consultant for the game, proving that the title is somehow still in development after nearly 20 years and three major reshuffles at Ubisoft. The developer and publisher even solidified their commitment to the game by releasing a 20th Anniversary Edition of the original game with additional content meant to bridge the gap between the first game and the upcoming sequel. Beyond Good and Evil 2 has become the new Kingdom Hearts 3 or Half-Life 3 in terms of highly anticipated sequels that seemingly will never come. Except, in the case of this game, nobody is clamoring for it or waiting with bated breath for a new update. After all this time and lack of information, it’s apparent to everyone else except Ubisoft that Beyond Good and Evil 2’s time has already come and gone.
Who Is Beyond Good and Evil 2 Even For At This Point?
The original Beyond Good and Evil takes place on the mining planet of Hillys as it comes under attack from an alien race known as the DomZ. Players take on Jade, an investigative photojournalist, martial artist, and resistance spy working with the underground IRIS Network to uncover a dark conspiracy involving the planet’s military protectors, the Alpha Sections. I’m sure there are many who played it back in the day who can’t recall the plot, only the fun gameplay and phenomenal character depictions, which have gone to become a standard, and even a bit antiquated, in the face of modern gaming.
The 2023 Anniversary Edition, which I had no clue even existed until recently, was a niche release that generated little to no excitement despite adding new content. Even if Beyond Good and Evil 2 dropped a new trailer with cannons blaring, mountains crumbling, and seas roaring, there’s nothing that would make me go back and actually play the game. I’d probably just go on YouTube and watch all the cutscenes to get caught up. And that’s coming from someone who already played it, let alone a younger gamer who would more than likely make the same choice.
Ubisoft May As Well Release The Game As A Secret Sequel At This Point
Although it would be nearly impossible to do in this world of leaks, rumors, and overt marketing, Ubisoft should consider releasing the game as a secret sequel. It would be Metal Gear Solid 2 levels of deception, making players believe they’d control Solid Snake only to control Raiden for most of the game. Although there would be some gaming boomers old enough to catch some clues and suss the title out as being Beyond Good and Evil 2, younger fans would be none the wiser, maybe even intrigued, as this is the crowd that needs more convincing to pick up the game.
Based on the trailers released so far, Beyond Good and Evil 2’s story looks like it would be far removed from Jade’s original journey, with players assembling a crew of space pirates. Jade will seemingly serve as the game’s mysterious antagonist, allowing Ubisoft to keep the fact that this is actually a sequel a secret until her eventual reveal. Something like this could generate huge interest and, instead of being the long-awaited sequel that could never live up to the expectations surrounding it, Beyond Good and Evil 2 could become the game that cleverly fooled a much wiser generation of gamers who are rarely surprised by anything. Maybe it would work, and maybe it wouldn’t, but it would be much bolder than attempting to garner excitement for a sequel to a franchise nobody cares about anymore.