A recent and serious setback has shaken Beyond Good and Evil 2’s already lengthy development. According to Kotaku, Guillaume Carmona, managing director of Beyond Good and Evil 2 and studio head of Ubisoft Montpellier has allegedly left the French studio in the midst of a labor investigation by the local government. Carmona has been with Ubisoft for nearly two-decades.
Montpellier staff were allegedly informed last week that Carmona wouldn’t be returning to the studio, following the studio head’s absence since the start of 2023. Additionally, Kotaku reported that other major players within the studio have also left including creative director Jean-Marc Geffroy and director Benjamin Dumaz. Both men have been allegedly replaced by former associate director and systems design director Emile Morel and Charles Gaudron. While no reason was given, these departures follow concerns of the studio’s treatment of employees.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 have been under Ubisoft Montpellier’s helm for over a decade. First teased in 2008 and later officially announced in 2017, Beyond Good and Evil 2’s development has become the longest in video game history. Unsurprisingly, this long development cycle has had a detrimental effect on the studio’s employees. In the last year, the studio has seen waves of employees taking extended absences and even leaving due to sickness and burnout. These instances drew concern from local French authorities in December 2022.
Allegedly, those initial concerns have turned into a full investigation. In a statement to Kotaku, Ubisoft representatives stated that the investigation is run by a third party, adding that the health of its employees are their priority.
“The health and wellness of our teams is an ongoing priority,” said Ubisoft. “Given the length of the development cycle with Beyond Good and Evil 2, the Montpellier development team is undergoing well-being assessments through a third-party for preventative measures and to evaluate where additional support may be needed.”
These circumstances have done the development of Beyond Good and Evil 2 no favors as its allegedly not even technically in pre-production. Kotaku stated that its developers have yet to settle on a creative vision for the project.