Ubisoft continues to expand its development team for the highly anticipated sequel Beyond Good and Evil 2, with the company recently initiating a new hiring campaign to fill several key positions at its Montpellier studio. This development not only confirms the game remains in active production but also suggests the long-delayed project maintains its commitment to incorporating multiplayer functionality, a feature Ubisoft initially referenced more than eight years ago.

The journey of Beyond Good and Evil 2 spans more than 17 years since its initial teaser at E3 2008. Following nearly a decade of developmental challenges, the project received a cinematic reveal trailer at E3 2017. By 2022, it had earned the distinction of becoming the most delayed AAA game in history, surpassing Duke Nukem Forever's record of 14 years, 1 month, 2 weeks, and 2 days between initial trailer and final release. Throughout this extended timeline, Ubisoft has provided intermittent updates regarding the game's progress, offering reassurance to both dedicated fans and concerned investors that development continues.

The most recent indication of progress emerged through Ubisoft's official careers portal, where multiple job openings specifically for the Montpellier-based Beyond Good and Evil 2 team have been posted. Available positions include Lead Quest Designer, Senior 3D Character Artist, Senior VFX Artist, Technical Sound Designer, and Technical Lead Network Programmer. Several of these listings have also appeared on third-party recruitment platforms like GameJobs.co. This hiring initiative represents the first substantial evidence that the project remains active since reports in October 2024 indicated the game had achieved a significant internal development milestone.

Current Job Openings for Beyond Good and Evil 2 at Ubisoft Montpellier

• Lead Quest Designer
• Technical Sound Designer
• Technical Lead Network Programmer
• Senior 3D Character Artist
• Senior VFX Artist

The job listing for Technical Lead Network Programmer strongly indicates that the game continues to pursue some form of multiplayer functionality. While it remains uncertain whether the original concept for Beyond Good and Evil 2 included multiplayer elements, the project had certainly embraced this feature by summer 2017, when Ubisoft first mentioned online multiplayer capabilities during the E3 cinematic trailer reveal. At that time, the company also described the prequel as offering players the opportunity to become space pirates within System 3, suggesting the sequel would feature a substantially broader scope compared to its predecessor.

According to a 2018 Ubisoft FAQ page that remains accessible today, Beyond Good and Evil 2 multiplayer will be entirely optional, with the game remaining fully playable as a solo experience. While specific details remain limited, Ubisoft's description of a "seamless online playground" suggests the potential implementation of drop-in multiplayer functionality. This approach aligns with several modern titles from the company, including Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which feature seamless cooperative gameplay experiences.

While Beyond Good and Evil 2 appears to maintain its online multiplayer ambitions, the game's exceptionally prolonged development cycle and multiple internal reboots suggest that, should it eventually reach completion, the final product may differ significantly from Ubisoft's original vision. Regarding potential release timing, concrete indications of an impending launch remain absent even after 17 years of development. Excluding outliers, Ubisoft's typical AAA marketing timelines generally align with industry standards, with most major titles experiencing approximately 12 months between gameplay reveal and official release. Consequently, should Beyond Good and Evil 2 overcome its developmental hurdles and approach completion, Ubisoft would likely announce this milestone approximately one year in advance, potentially disclosing its fiscal year release target during one of its regular earnings reports, as is standard practice for the company's major releases.