Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Four Other Games Stuck in Development for Over a Decade

Ubisoft confirmed in January 2026 that Beyond Good & Evil 2 remains in active development after 19 years, making it the longest-running project on a new list of five games trapped in development limbo. The publisher axed six other projects around the same time but spared this open-world action-adventure RPG, which first entered pre-production in 2007. For players who have watched trailers come and go since the E3 2017 reveal stole the show, that survival feels less like reassurance and more like a test of patience.

The list spans multiple genres and publishers, from Cloud Imperium Games' single-player spin-off Squadron 42 to Cygames' mysterious Project Awakening, Rockstar's inevitable Grand Theft Auto 6, and the twice-resurrected The Wolf Among Us 2. What unites them is a decade-plus gap between announcement and release — or in some cases, between announcement and any meaningful sign of life. For anyone tracking these titles, the common thread isn't just delay; it's the silence that follows the hype.

About Beyond Good & Evil 2

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is an open-world action-adventure RPG developed and published by Ubisoft. The game serves as a prequel to the 2003 cult classic and shifts the setting to a systemic space sandbox where players create their own character and travel from one planet to another, each with its own society, quests, and characters. Michel Ancel, the original director, described it in a Verge interview as "more akin to an RPG than the first game," signaling a fundamental genre pivot from the linear narrative adventure that defined the original.

"it's more akin to an RPG than the first game"

Michel Ancel, original director

The project began pre-production in 2007 and has accumulated 19 years of development time without a playable release. A reveal trailer dropped in 2008, followed by a leaked trailer in 2009 showing Jade fleeing authorities. The game then vanished until E3 2017, where a cinematic trailer seized the event's attention, and E3 2018 provided the last public showing to date. Ubisoft's January 2026 confirmation that the game survived a round of project cancellations is the only official update since.

The Space Epic That Keeps Expanding

Beyond Good & Evil 2 has ballooned its ambitions every year the studio keeps quiet. Its central promise—travel effortlessly from one planet to another while each world feels distinct—

The 2017 and 2018 trailers showed cinematic flair but zero HUD, inventory, or combat UI — the language of a vertical slice that may not represent a playable build. Ubisoft's decision to keep the project alive while canceling six others in early 2026 signals institutional commitment, yet the absence of a release window or even a target platform list makes it impossible to gauge progress. For the community that has sustained wikis, lore archives, and mod projects for the original game, the wait has become a cultural touchstone in itself — a shared joke that masks genuine frustration.

Squadron 42 and the Single-Player Shadow

Cloud Imperium Games announced Squadron 42 in 2012 as a narrative-driven, single-player first-person shooter set in the Star Citizen universe. Originally slated for 2014, it now holds a plausible claim to the longest delay past an original launch date in modern gaming. The developer reported in December 2025 that the game is fully playable and feature complete, with a 2026 release target and an episodic structure — the first episode running up to 20 hours, with two more planned. A cast including Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Damson Idris, Henry Cavill, and Eleanor Tomlinson adds production value that most indie studios could never afford.

For players, the episodic format changes the calculus: a 20-hour opening chapter could deliver a complete narrative arc even if later episodes slip further. The Star Citizen persistent universe has been playable in alpha since 2014, so the underlying tech — flight models, FPS combat, ship interiors — exists in some form. The risk is feature creep: Squadron 42 has absorbed scope expansions for a decade, and "feature complete" in December 2025 does not guarantee a polished 2026 launch. With four months left in the year at the time of the report and no marketing ramp-up, skepticism is warranted.

Project Awakening's Quiet Decade

Cygames revealed Project Awakening at Cygames Next 2016 in Tokyo, with an official public showing in 2018. A behind-closed-doors vertical slice at E3 2018 reportedly featured a knight battling a "scaly lizard-like monster" with realistic movement, blending Monster Hunter and Dragon's Dogma combat styles according to Game Informer. The 2021 Cygames Tech Conference showed terrain generation, weather effects, and a vast landscape — more tech demo than game. CEO Koichi Watanabe told Famitsu in issue 1955 that development is "progressing steadily" and the game is "starting to take shape."

"progressing steadily"

Koichi Watanabe, CEO

"starting to take shape."

Koichi Watanabe, CEO

For players, the Monster Hunter and Dragon's Dogma comparison sets a high bar: both franchises define their genres through weighty, animation-committed combat and deep monster ecology. If Project Awakening delivers on that promise, it could fill a niche for high-fidelity action-RPG combat on platforms where Capcom's titles dominate. The silence since 2021, however, suggests either a reboot or a scope that outpaced the team's velocity. Cygames has the Granblue Fantasy and Uma Musume revenue to fund a long gestation, but patience from leadership is not infinite.

Grand Theft Auto 6's Turbulent Path to November

Grand Theft Auto 6 entered pre-production in 2014, with full development starting in 2018 — a 12-year cycle that barely qualifies as development hell compared to the others on this list. Rockstar Games targets a November 19, 2026 launch after delays from fall 2025 and May 2026. The September 2022 leak exposed dual protagonists, a return to Vice City, and extensive gameplay systems. In April 2024, Rockstar mandated a return-to-office policy for "productivity and security in the final stages of development," sparking backlash. By October 2025, 34 employees were reportedly fired amid unionization efforts.

"productivity and security in the final stages of development"

Rockstar Games

For players, the labor disputes and leak fallout matter less than the final product — but they signal a studio under pressure. The dual-protagonist structure, if retained from the leaked build, could allow perspective-switching missions akin to GTA V's heist strands but with deeper narrative divergence. Vice City's return promises a neon-soaked map dense with 1980s and modern eras, potentially the most detailed open world Rockstar has built. The November 19 date feels firm; Rockstar rarely misses a locked date once marketing begins. The real question is whether the online component launches alongside or follows the familiar staggered rollout.

The Wolf Among Us 2's Resurrection

The Wolf Among Us 2 was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017 for a 2018 release, then delayed to 2019 before Telltale Games collapsed. LCG Entertainment revived the studio, partnering with AdHoc Studio — formed by ex-Telltale staff — to restart development. Further delays through 2023 and 2024, layoffs, and AdHoc's departure over studio disagreements pushed the project to a Summer Game Fest 2026 re-reveal. A 2027 release window would mark ten years since the original announcement. The sequel retains the five-episode structure but reportedly adopts a much darker tone than the first game.

For players, the episodic format means the story arrives in chunks, and Telltale's historical strength — branching dialogue that feels consequential even when the plot rails hold firm — remains the selling point. The darker tone suggests Bigby Wolf's noir detective arc will lean harder into the Fables comic's brutal undercurrents. AdHoc's exit raises concerns about narrative continuity; the writers who understood the characters left mid-project. LCG's ability to maintain the original voice with a new team will determine whether this feels like a true sequel or a licensed imitation.

What This Means for Players

The common thread across these five titles isn't just time — it's the gap between promise and proof. Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Squadron 42 sell systemic ambition: living galaxies, episodic narratives, star-studded casts. Project Awakening and The Wolf Among Us 2 lean on combat and story pedigree, respectively. Grand Theft Auto 6 is the only one with a fixed date and a track record of delivering. For players, the rational move is to treat release windows as aspirational until a gold master disc exists. Wishlist the ones that speak to you, but don't plan your gaming calendar around them.

Community fatigue is real. The Beyond Good & Evil 2 subreddit has cycled through hope, memes, and resignation multiple times. Star Citizen backers have spent thousands on ships for a game that still wipes progress quarterly. Telltale fans have mourned the same sequel twice. The healthiest relationship with development hell is detachment: celebrate the trailers, read the interviews, then move on until a review build exists. The games will launch when they launch — or they won't.

Watch for the next marketing beat on Grand Theft Auto 6 — Rockstar's cadence suggests a second trailer this summer. Squadron 42's 2026 deadline will either break or extend the longest-delay record. Beyond Good & Evil 2's fate may hinge on whether Ubisoft's new leadership tolerates another year without gameplay. The Wolf Among Us 2 needs to show episode one gameplay soon to prove the third attempt sticks. Project Awakening remains the wild card: a Cygames Next or Tokyo Game Show appearance would be the first sign of life in four years.