Beyond Good and Evil 2 Rumor Says Ubisoft Sequel Is Still Pre-Production

Image: frvr.com

A reported pre-production status keeps BGE2 far from the finish line

The latest Beyond Good and Evil 2 rumor is striking because of how little it sounds like a game nearing launch. French outlet Origami reports, according to coverage from Eurogamer, GamingBolt, Push Square, Twisted Voxel, FRVR, TheGamer, and Instant Gaming, that Ubisoft Montpellier still has the long-delayed sequel in pre-production, with “at least” 250 people attached to the project and an internal push toward alpha or a major milestone gate.

That is the clearest tension in the BGE2 report. A project can have a large team and still be outside full production if its core design, scope, systems, and playable framework have not locked into the shape Ubisoft is willing to fund at scale. Origami’s report, as translated and relayed by Eurogamer, says that by Ubisoft and broader major-publisher terminology, production on BGE2 “has not yet begun.” Twisted Voxel similarly describes the next step as a milestone that could determine whether the game receives the staff and funding needed to enter full production.

Ubisoft has not announced a release date, launch platforms, price, editions, system requirements, or a new gameplay showcase for Beyond Good and Evil 2. GamingBolt notes there is currently no word on updated gameplay, a release date, or platforms. Twisted Voxel also states that Ubisoft has yet to confirm launch platforms. That matters for readers trying to separate a live project from an imminent one: the report suggests the game still exists, but it does not support treating it as close.

The reported reboot is now solo-first, not the old multiplayer pitch

The biggest design shift in the report is a move away from the multiplayer-heavy vision associated with previous versions of Beyond Good and Evil 2. Origami, as covered by Eurogamer, says that between 2019 and 2022 the game was being conceived as a “highly multiplayer and connected” experience across a “multitude of planets,” with matchmaking and a social “third place” concept compared internally to games such as Fortnite and Destiny.

That version sounds very different from what Origami now describes. The current direction is reportedly a “solo-first” adventure with a strong narrative, no mandatory online connection, and optional co-op. GamingBolt reports the same broad shift, saying the game has moved from a huge multiplayer focus with numerous planets toward a mainly single-player structure with a strong story. Push Square and TheGamer also describe the updated pitch as story-heavy and single-player led, while noting that co-op remains part of the plan.

For an action-adventure sequel, that change is not cosmetic. A connected multiplayer world asks for repeatable activities, social spaces, progression loops, and networked infrastructure. A solo-first story game asks for authored pacing, readable mission flow, scene-to-scene escalation, companion handling if co-op exists, and combat encounters that can hold up alone. If Origami’s reporting is accurate, BGE2 is no longer being framed primarily as a place to gather. It is being reframed as an adventure with a narrative spine, which is closer to what many fans of the 2003 original likely expected, but it also implies years of design work may have been rethought.

The Spider-Man comparison is about combat, not a release clue

The part of the Beyond Good and Evil 2 rumor that will travel fastest is the comparison to Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man games. Origami’s reported line, quoted by Eurogamer and echoed by Push Square, Instant Gaming, TheGamer, and Twisted Voxel, is that the game’s current combat is “very reminiscent” of Insomniac’s Spider-Man titles. Eurogamer adds that the project was apparently once described by some people as closer to “Zelda in space,” while the newer comparison centers on combat.

That should be read narrowly. The report does not say BGE2 is a superhero game, a Sony-style exclusive, or a finished action game with the polish of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. It says the current combat direction reminds sources of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games. In practical design language, readers can reasonably understand that as a signal toward fast, readable, character-action combat built around mobility, crowd management, and responsive rhythm, but the sources do not provide controller details, enemy examples, traversal footage, difficulty structure, or encounter design specifics.

Dante Rossi’s read as an action-adventure critic: the comparison is useful only if Ubisoft has settled the surrounding frame. Spider-Man-style combat works because animation priority, camera behavior, traversal, arena spacing, enemy telegraphs, and upgrade pacing all serve the same tempo. Dropping a similar combat feel into a sci-fi adventure with ships, planets, co-op, and authored story missions is a larger production challenge. Without new footage, the Spider-Man note is a directional clue, not evidence of a shippable build.

Eighteen years of public history make the rumor easy to overread

Beyond Good and Evil 2’s public timeline is unusually tangled. GamingBolt says the sequel was announced in 2008 and re-revealed in 2017. Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips also points back to Ubisoft’s Paris-based UbiDays event in 2008 and the first CGI trailer, then links the widely remembered E3 2017 reveal trailer. Some newer write-ups compress the story around the 2017 stage reveal, which is understandable because that version came with the modern pitch, but the project’s public shadow stretches back much further.

That long history is part of why the phrase “still in pre-production” lands so heavily. TheGamer calls BGE2 one of gaming’s most infamous long development cycles and notes it has avoided both release and cancellation. Push Square frames the same disbelief around the idea that the game still exists after multiple apparent development cycles and Ubisoft’s wider restructuring. FRVR reports that the 2017 version was tied to a Voyager Engine pitch meant to support a large sci-fi universe.

The sources also describe repeated creative churn. Eurogamer’s translation of Origami says BGE2 historically failed to meet creative milestones, or “gates,” because ideas about the game kept changing. Twisted Voxel says the game has shifted through several multiplayer formats, including matchmade groups, four-player team-based play, and two-player co-op, before arriving at the current solo-first target. If accurate, the pattern is not simply slow progress. It is a long search for a stable game shape.

Ubisoft support kept the project alive, but that is not the same as safety

Origami’s report, as relayed by Eurogamer and Push Square, says Beyond Good and Evil 2 survived for so long because of strong internal backing at Ubisoft. Eurogamer quotes the report as saying the game had “unwavering” support and that it was effectively impossible to cancel, to the point that some people inside the company viewed that support as a poison. The reported question hanging over the project is sharp: if a game is never cancelled, can it also fail to be finished?

There are also signs that Ubisoft has continued to staff or support the project in some capacity. GamingBolt notes that creative director Fawzi Mesmar said earlier in 2026 that Ubisoft’s restructuring had not affected the project. The same outlet reports that Rik Godwin, a writer on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, was brought on as a consultant in September. Instant Gaming’s source text also references a January 2026 Ubisoft spokesperson saying development was continuing and calling BGE2 a priority within a strategy focused on open-world adventure games.

Those datapoints support one limited conclusion: the sequel has not been publicly cancelled. They do not resolve the larger uncertainty. FRVR’s account of the Origami report says some teams are worried after broader industry changes, while Twisted Voxel notes Ubisoft has been restructuring and reducing its workforce. Instant Gaming goes further in its interpretation, saying the publisher could still cancel the project amid restructuring. Since Ubisoft has not issued a fresh public statement tied to Origami’s report, the safest position is that BGE2 appears active but remains unannounced in all the ways that matter to a buyer.

Platforms, timing, and expectations should stay conservative

Readers searching for Beyond Good and Evil 2 release information should treat this as a status rumor, not a launch forecast. The current source material does not include a release window. It does not confirm PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, or PC platforms. It does not confirm whether any previously discussed technology, online structure, ship systems, planets, or playable roles remain in the game as they once appeared.

That platform gap is especially important because some listings and coverage are ecosystem-specific. Push Square naturally covers the report from a PlayStation angle and links to a PS5 game page, but GamingBolt and Twisted Voxel both emphasize that Ubisoft has not announced platforms. Until Ubisoft names platforms itself, any assumption about PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, or future hardware is speculation.

The practical guidance is simple: do not preorder, do not plan hardware purchases around BGE2, and do not read the Spider-Man combat comparison as evidence of a near reveal. If Origami’s reporting is accurate, the story is that Ubisoft Montpellier may finally be trying to lock a smaller, solo-first identity after years of multiplayer ambition and shifting milestones. That could be a healthier creative direction for a Beyond Good and Evil sequel, especially one expected to carry character, pace, and authored adventure. It also means the project still has to prove it can cross the production threshold before players should expect release-date momentum.