Ubisoft Montpellier’s managing director has left the studio

Guillaume Carmona, the former managing director at Beyond Good and Evil 2 developer Ubisoft Montpellier, has left the company after being absent since the beginning of 2023.

The details:

• According to Kotaku, Carmona, a Ubisoft veteran, has left the company entirely as his Montpellier studio faces a labor investigation by France's Inspection du Travail. The investigation was launched in response to reports of a large number of employees taking sick leave or suffering from burnout. Carmona has reportedly been absent from the studio since the beginning of the year, and employees were only recently informed of his departure.
• Carmona was contacted by Kotaku, but he declined to comment on the situation. However, a Ubisoft spokesperson responded, saying, "The health and wellness of our teams is an ongoing priority." 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.”
• Michel Ancel, the original game’s director, left the studio back in 2020 to work at a wildlife reservation amidst an investigation following allegations of toxicity in the workplace. It’s unknown who will be replaced or removed going forward as a result of the ongoing investigation.

What’s going on with Beyond Good and Evil 2?

• Beyond Good and Evil 2 has now been in development for over 15 years, making it the longest development time of any video game in history, surpassing 2011's Duke Nukem Forever. The game was first teased in 2008 and received a trailer in 2017 before disappearing once again.
• It was said that the game would be an open-world title that features customizable ships and online multiplayer in which players could move from space to city streets seamlessly.
• Since the game's initial trailer in 2017, former senior creative director Jean-Marc Geffroy has been replaced by Emile Morel, the game's previous associate director. Even after the reported changes, the game is still not in full production, according to a source speaking to Kotaku, with the studio struggling to "nail down a creative vision that is both fun and achievable.”