As a long-time follower of Michel Ancel’s work and a fan of his unique vision, I find myself both saddened and intrigued by the tale of WiLD’s untimely demise. It’s like watching a beautiful, unfinished symphony that remains locked away in a dusty piano.
A small, positive corner of us continued to believe in WiLD; despite seeing very little of Michel Ancel’s abandoned project over the years, we couldn’t fully explain why. We finally received some information about the game in August (a full decade after it was first announced). Wild Sheep Studio then confirmed they were no longer actively working on it. Recently, the original lead, Ancel, shared some intriguing details about the game, describing its fate as unfortunate.
After departing from the industry in 2020, Ancel recently shared some insights with Superpouvior (thanks, VGC) about what transpired during those years. In his words: “By 2018, we had a delightful playable version, but we spent too much time upgrading the game for PS5, which delayed its development. On Sony’s end, there were significant changes in leadership, and the project was halted.
According to Ancel, trouble started when Ubisoft proposed a takeover, and unexpectedly, Sony expressed strong interest in reacquiring WiLD, even increasing the game’s budget by double. Unfortunately, contracts with Ubisoft had already been finalized, causing us to decline Sony’s offer. It’s a pity. Matters worsened when Ubisoft Paris took control, under the leadership of Tommy François, who was later arrested following an investigation into the studio’s harmful culture, which was found to harbor “systemic sexual violence”. As Ancel remembers that time:
During this phase, I experienced burnout, and regrettably, the project was handed over to Ubisoft’s Paris-based editorial team, which was in disarray. Unfortunately, I wasn’t around anymore to safeguard the game, as it became victim to suggestions for numerous changes by people within that department who hadn’t even played the game yet. This situation certainly caused a stir. Ancel clarifies the circumstances surrounding the development of the game in this setting: At the time, the editorial team was undergoing significant turmoil due to the internal issues involving Tommy François, who, coincidentally, was overseeing WiLD at Ubisoft.
As a passionate admirer, I can’t help but express my eagerness if given the opportunity by Michel Ancel himself to delve into the playable demos from 2018 for both WiLD and Beyond Good & Evil 2. He has described these projects as “more than promising,” a statement that truly piques my curiosity. It’s fascinating to know that his professional exhaustion took a toll on his personal life, leading him to step away from the industry in 2020.
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2024-12-10 08:07