Despite all the success of the original, it’s rare to hear much news about Beyond Good and Evil 2. While Elder Scrolls and GTA fans have been waiting over a decade for a sequel, Beyond Good and Evil fans have been waiting over two. News feels like it’s almost being hidden away by Ubisoft, but the latest batch of rumors doesn’t paint the game in the greatest light.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been in development since 2008 and, despite seventeen years of development, very little has been shown. There have been three trailers thus far, one in 2008 to announce the project, and two cinematic trailers in 2017 and 2018, but the project has remained quiet since then outside a quick gameplay showcase. Rumors suggest the game’s development is ongoing, albeit slowly, but the processes used in development might spark some controversy.
Beyond Good And Evil 2 May Be Using Generative AI
And It’s Going To Be Controversial For Ubisoft If It’s True
While the E3 2018 Cinematic trailer from Ubisoft North America on YouTube gave everyone an idea of what was to come, it seems Ubisoft is a little stuck with the project. According to reliable leaker, Nash Weedle on X, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still in development, a name change was considered, and a story trailer was made but never released. This suggests that Ubisoft isn’t sure what direction to go in with the project.
The biggest talking point in the post is that Ubisoft is hiring specialists in generative AI for the project. AI has been used more and more in gaming companies, from promotional art to active development. According to Totally Human Media, 7% of Steam games use generative AI in some form. Beyond Good and Evil 2 is likely to add to that statistic, if it ever gets fully released.
Nash Weedle’s post suggests that Beyond Good and Evil 2 will be using generative AI for NPCs, although the scope of this remains unknown. This could apply to background NPCs, enemies, or more important side characters the player doesn’t have control of. Either way, AI experimentation was always going to come to AAA gaming, and its use seems to be growing.
Outside the AI talk, it’s concerning that Beyond Good and Evil 2 isn’t really progressing. If a story trailer was made and not released, it’s suggested that the story continually changes and that a script isn’t done yet. It represents the money wasted on the project, and with the strange state Ubisoft finds itself in, it feels like the project is closer to cancellation than actually releasing.
Generative AI Use Won’t Help Ubisoft’s Reputation
Irrespective Of The Opinion Around AI, Ubisoft Doesn’t Need The Heat
Generative AI is controversial. Irrespective of what people think about it, if Beyond Good and Evil 2 releases and does use generative AI, it will be under fire and a polarizing project without people even taking into account the actual game.
It will probably suffer boycotts and Ubisoft will likely suffer some form of online cancellation, making Beyond Good and Evil 2 more of a talking point than a game.
Another problem with generative AI is that it only copies and takes from pre-existing material. Copyright laws haven’t caught up yet and, if or when they do, Ubisoft could end up in some legal trouble because its generative AI took from an artist or art team with the money and power to sue them. Disney is already suing Midjourney for its stealing of artwork.
It should also be noted that those against generative AI as a creative solution do have some valid points. Beyond Good and Evil is a unique game with a striking aesthetic, highlighted by its 20th anniversary edition.
While the sequel appears to use a more realistic aesthetic, it still needs to have its predecessor’s wacky and unique designs. Generative AI won’t be able to do the unique part of it inherently, because it’s based around copying.
Its use could also mean that Ubisoft is downsizing the team behind Beyond Good and Evil 2, using AI to compensate. If this is true, then it is an even worse look for the studio, giving up jobs of artists to AI to save money. The only good side to this is that generative AI might help speed up production, but the game probably has quite a few years left in its development, if it ever gets released.
Beyond Good And Evil 2 Has Been Stuck In Development Hell
And With Or Without Generative AI, It Needs Help
Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been in development for seventeen years and has had almost nothing to show for it. It has been six years since the gameplay update, and it feels like Ubisoft is still going back and forth with the ideas around the game. This back and forth could be the reason the development is taking so long, and if this is the case, the game is firmly in development hell.
Irrespective of opinions around generative AI, it isn’t going to help Beyond Good and Evil 2 get out of development hell if Ubisoft is struggling to pick a direction. Development started a year after Assassin’s Creed 1 was released, and that series has amassed fourteen main series games in the time that Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been in the works. Its future is looking grim and generative AI likely won’t change it.
