Beyond Good and Evil 2, despite all odds, is still kicking as it takes on new lead writer

Somehow, despite everything suggesting it should be dead in the water, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still in development, as it just got a new lead writer.

Beyond Good and Evil 2, the supposedly upcoming sequel to the cult classic original, hasn't exactly had a smooth development. Some version of it has been in development since at least 2008, though its first teaser trailer was the only evidence of its existence until the re-reveal in 2017. In 2020 the game's director Michel Ancel left the games industry entirely, though in 2021 Ubisoft did say it's still in development. And that somehow does still seem to be the case, as the game recently took on a new lead writer, as reported by PC Gamer.

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Sarah Arellano, who has done work for Blizzard and Volition, announced the news via her personal Twitter account, which is the most we've heard about the game in the last year.

"We are very happy to welcome Sarah who is one of the latest recruits on Beyond Good and Evil 2," a Ubisoft spokesperson told PC Gamer over email. "The development team is hard at work to deliver on the promise made to its community."

Beyond Good and Evil 2 still being in development isn't necessarily a huge surprise considering now formal announcement has been made regarding it recently, but Ubisoft clearly hasn't been doing well recently, which is where some of the surprise comes from.

Last month, the developer and publisher cancelled Ghost Recon: Frontline, Splinter Cell VR, and two other titles that hadn't even been announced. On top of that, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has been delayed into Ubisoft's 2023 fiscal year, and it has reportedly delayed a new Assassin's Creed, which will supposedly star Valhalla's Basim.

It was also recently reported that Tencent is looking to up its stake in Ubisoft, with discussions having started in May.