Sequel to 2003 PS2 Classic Still in the Works, 23 Years Later
A sequel to a 2003 PS2 classic is reportedly still in the works, 23 years later. The sequel hasn’t been in active development this entire time, but it’s been kicking around in pre-production for a very solid chunk of that time. To this end, the sequel was announced all the way back in 2008. 18 years later, it’s still in development, supposedly, but still in pre-production, which is to say, the early stages of development.
In addition to a dormant Sony PS2 series reportedly on the verge of a return, PS2 nostalgics now have confirmation that Ubisoft is still working on Beyond Good and Evil 2, despite longstanding speculation and rumors that it has been cancelled. This is great news for those who have been waiting 23 years for said sequel, but the bad news is that even after all this time, it is still in pre-production, where it seems to be eternally trapped.
This is at least the latest claim from French outlet Origami. This new report claims the game is still in development at Ubisoft Montpellier, which lines up with the latest update from Ubisoft itself. The new report does more than just divulge that the project hasn’t been cancelled, but gives some new details on it as well.
The Latest Report
According to the new report, at least 250 developers are working on the game, which is a pretty substantial team, even by modern video game development standards. Meanwhile, where previous iterations were set to be more multiplayer-focused, the latest iteration is more single-player and story-focused, though it will come with co-op. There is no word on whether it will be online co-op, local co-op, or both.
The report claims the game is being built on the new Voyager Engine, which is described as far ahead of the rest of the industry, though in what capacities is not cited.
Of course, take this new report with a grain of salt because it is unofficial information. Officially, the game is still in development, though many doubt it will ever see the light of day at this point. That said, the additional details have not been communicated by Ubisoft, which has not commented on this new report in any capacity. For a variety of reasons, we do not expect this to change, but if it does, we will update the story accordingly.
When the original Beyond Good and Evil was released in 2003, at first only on PS2, it was received well and sold appreciably, but it certainly wasn’t a commercial hit. To this end, it’s interesting to see Ubisoft go through so many obstacles to make this sequel happen, because it’s hard to imagine this sequel itself being a substantial hit whenever it releases, if it releases. In fact, the further we get away from 2003, the harder it gets to imagine a sequel resonating.