Ubisoft Montpellier development studio has been working on Beyond Good and Evil 2 (BG&E2) for over a decade, but production has become one of Ubisoft's most well-known challenges. Now the studio is in the spotlight of a work investigation by local government authorities due to an unprecedented number of developers suffering from burnout and falling ill.
The situation at Ubisoft Montpellier has deteriorated to the point where Managing Director Guillaume Carmona, who had been absent since the beginning of the year, has left the company. According to three sources familiar with the studio's workflows, dozens of developers in Montpellier have taken extended leaves of absence due to stress or illness, including many team leaders.
The recent shift in the direction of BG&E2 led to the Senior Creative Director Jean-Marc Geffroy being removed from the project and replaced by Emile Morel, the former Associate Director of the game. Charles Gaudron became the new Game Director after Benjamin Dumaz left the company.
The project has been hampered by a range of technical, design, and organizational challenges and continues to struggle to develop a creative vision that is both fun and achievable.
The working conditions at Ubisoft Montpellier are yet another case of poor work practices in the video game industry, which has been in the headlines for some time. Ubisoft itself was hit by a wave of accusations of sexual misconduct and bullying last year.
In a statement, Ubisoft said that they are committed to the wellbeing of their employees and are actively working to improve the working conditions in their studios. Ubisoft Montpellier has yet to comment.
