Beyond Good & Evil 2's New Problems; Same Old at Ubisoft
Ubisoft Montpellier, the studio responsible for Beyond Good & Evil 2 is facing staff burnout. The already difficult situation of the game is also likely to be negatively affected by the departure of the studio's head, Guillaume Carmona.
As reported by Kotaku, based on its own sources, Ubisoft Montpellier - the studio behind the outrageously long-developed Beyond Good & Evil 2 - has found itself in the spotlight of local authorities due to rumors of mass layoffs and burnout among the company's employees.
Inspection at Ubisoft Montpellier - company confirms
According to the news, a December visit by the French labor inspectorate resulted in the hiring of an external observer. His task is to interview Ubisoft Montpellier employees for a detailed report on their health and well-being. The reports were confirmed by company representatives.
"The health and well-being of our teams is a constant priority. Given the long period of work on Beyond Good & Evil 2, the Montpellier branch is going through a process of assessing conditions, performed by an external entity, to determine where additional support may be needed," the information provided by an Ubisoft spokesperson reads.
Ubisoft Montpellier loses one of its pillars
While the matter is being looked into by French officials, studio employees were to be informed that the head of Ubisoft Montpellier, Guillaume Carmona, has left the team.. The developer, who has been with the company for two decades, had been out of work since late last year. The former studio head declined to comment to Kotaku reporters.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 - what's next for the game?
What's gonna happen to Beyond Good & Evil 2 then? Ubisoft Montpellier is reportedly continuing to work on a coherent vision of what the game should look like. And since the developers are unable to choose a common direction, the title is still in development phase... 15 years after its reveal. Things are also not made any easier by the recent departures of senior creative director Jean-Marc Geffroy and director Benjamin Dumaz.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 is another highly uncertain and drawn-out title from Ubisoft (recently it bested Duke Nukem Forever), which, as a reminder, is still trying to complete Skull & Bones after nearly a decade of development.
