UPDATE: If you were disappointed by last week's rumors about the cancellation of Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Michel Ancel's departure from Ubisoft Montpellier, you can breathe a sigh of relief. In a short statement to gaming site Eurogamer, an Ubisoft representative confirmed that Ancel is still with the company, and that the game is still in development.
"There are no changes on the horizon," the rep confirmed. On one hand, it's great to see that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still a possibility. On the other hand, if things were going well for the title, you'd think that we would have seen a little new info in the two years since the game's announcement.
ORIGINAL STORY: In 2008, Ubisoft surprised and thrilled many gamers by showing a teaser trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2, a title often cited as an underappreciated gem of the last generation. Unfortunately, details regarding the game have been scarce since, and now rumors are pointing to the game's cancellation.
French gaming site WootGaming (via CVG) is reporting that the sequel to the cult hit is no longer in production. It appears that the main reason is the departure of Michel Ancel (the creative force behind BG&E and Rayman) from Ubisoft Montpellier.
Ancel was allegedly frustrated by how development of BG&E 2 was being handled. According to the report, Ancel is rumored to have left the studio with one other notable developer in hopes of starting another development house.
We've attempted to contact Ubisoft for comment, and will update this story if any new information comes to light.