The studio working onBeyond Good and Evil 2, Ubisoft Montpellier, is now undergoing a labor investigation, according to sources. While the publisher,Ubisoft, has been accused of a whole slew of misconduct and mismanagement problems, certain development studios operating under its umbrella appear to be particularly problematic, and Montpellier has been thrust into the negative limelight once again.
The fact thatBeyond Good and Evil 2has been delayedmore thanDuke Nukem Foreveris quite telling on its own, but the problems present at Ubisoft Montpellier appear to go far beyond issues with how the game’s development is being managed. Not only has the studio been subjected to a series of veteran staff departures, but sources have also caught wind of there being serious burnout problems as well.
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Though Ubisoft claimsBeyond Good and Evil 2is in developmentstill, the progress made by Ubisoft Montpellier has been rather slow, with barely any news about the game coming out over the past couple of years. Now, GamesIndustry.biz has reported that the developer is undergoing a series of labor investigation procedures due to its “unprecedented” number of prolonged sick leaves. Allegations of burnout have also been made, and while there’s no reasoning provided for the recent quitting of the studio’s managing director, Guillaume Carmona, this appears to be just the latest in a long line of departures. In fact, it’s these departures that seem to have prompted the Inspection du Travail, France’s labor surveillance service, to take a closer look at what’s going on at Ubisoft Montpellier.
Beyond Good and Evil 2is one of severalmodern games that are trapped in development hell, and if the latest round of allegations about what’s happening with the staff at Ubisoft Montpellier are true, this isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Sources claim that dozens of developers have already permanently left the studio, and Ubisoft itself has admitted that a “third-party for preventative measures” is looking into the situation to provide a professional evaluation.
This appearance of Ubisoft Montpellier being in dire straits isn’t a new development, however. SomeBeyond Good and Evil 2devs anticipated its cancelationlate in 2022, citing issues with the creative direction of the game. Another problem that got brought up was the notion that the project simply didn’t mesh with the direction that other Ubisoft productions were taking.
One may claim that the stage is already set for Ubisoft to cancelBeyond Good and Evil 2for good. Early in 2023, information came out thatUbisoft canceled seven games in as many months, which paints a rather bleak picture of the state of the studio. Depending on what the labor investigation discovers about Ubisoft Montpellier, its long-awaited title may well be the next on the cutting block.
Beyond Good and Evil 2is in development.
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