Beyond Good & Evil 2 is somehow still in development, and it has a new Creative Director

Fawzi Mesmar is taking on the role after Emile Morel's tragic passing.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is definitely one of gaming’s biggest mysteries since Ubisoft originally revealed this game back in 2009, rebranded and re-announced it in E3 2017 and yet, the company still hasn’t disclosed much information about it, let alone a concrete release date.

Recommended Videos
The main cast of characters of Beyond Good & Evil 2.
Image via Ubisoft

Most gamers believed that Ubisoft cancelled Beyond Good & Evil 2, especially after the game’s Creative Director, Emile Morel, sadly passed away in June 2023. But, in reality, this hasn’t stopped the company from continuing to pursue this ambitious project, and the company has now assigned a new person to the role: Fawzi Mesmar, who announced it on his personal LinkedIn page.

“I have been working with those peeps for years now on this ambitious game and witnessed their talent firsthand. I am standing on the shoulders of creative giants that have supported the team before me, and I look forward to continuing to craft a game that is truly unique for players to enjoy” said Mesmar on his announcement post. When taking a look at his personal portfolio, it’s clear that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is in good hands, since he has experience working on some of Ubisoft’s best titles, like Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Star Wars Outlaws, and even Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition.

The tumultuous development history of Beyond Good & Evil 2

Pey'j in the 2008 trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2.
Screenshot via Rock Paper Shotgun/YouTube

Mesmar’s post confirms that Ubisoft is still trying to complete Beyond Good & Evil 2, which goes along with the recent claims that the company took part of the disbanded Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown team and assigned them to this project. However, you can’t blame people for thinking that this game got canceled, because, so far, its development history has been both messy and controversial.

Ubisoft first revealed Beyond Good & Evil 2 back in 2008, with a fascinating trailer that showcased Jade and Pey’j from the first game, confirming that this was going to be a sequel. While Ubisoft showed bits & pieces of this project during the following months, the company eventually went on full radio silence, making people wonder if it had cancelled it.

One of the main characters of Beyond Good & Evil 2 in the game's E3 2017 trailer.
Screenshot via Ubisoft/YouTube

But things suddenly changed in E3 2017, when Ubisoft unveiled a brand-new Beyond Good & Evil 2 trailer that confirmed the game had gone through a major overhaul: It now has a new cast of characters, it’s an ambitious open-world adventure, and it’s going to be a prequel, instead of a narrative sequel. After an impressive E3 presentation, both fans and journalists suddenly had high hopes for this upcoming game.

Unfortunately, the development of Beyond Good & Evil 2 went through a series of setbacks that would keep the game under wraps for a few more years, including the firing of director Michel Ancel and the aforementioned sudden passing of Emile Morel. However, Mesmar’s enthusiasm and years of experience indicate that there’s still hope for this infamous project, so Ubisoft may be finally able to release it in the near future.


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Julián F.L.
Julián F.L.
Freelance Contributor: Julián has been a passionate fan of video games, anime & manga for as long as he can remember. He has over 10 years of experience writing about these topics on the internet, and has collaborated with many outlets, and now he's ecstatic to join Destructoid. He greatly enjoys Hack & Slash games, 2D & 3D platformers, action Shōnen manga and kaiju films.