Michael Ancel, the creator of iconic video game series such as Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil, has announced his retirement from the gaming industry. Ancel has stated that he will now focus on another passion of his — opening a wildlife sanctuary.
Ancel is best known as the lead designer of Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, with him most recently working on Beyond Good and Evil 2, the sequel to the 2003 cult hit on which he served as director. In an Instagram post announcing his retirement from gaming, Ancel stated that development on the sequel would continue despite his departure.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is going ‘super well’
“Today is very special for me. After more than 30 years, I’ve decided to stop working on video games and fully focus on my second passion: Wild Life! My new project takes place in the real world and consists in a wild life open sanctuary dedicated to education, nature lovers and … wild animals,” Ancel wrote.
“Many of you might want to know what will happen to Wild and [Beyond Good and Evil 2],” he continued. “No worries, since many months now the teams are autonomous and the projects are going super well. Beautiful things to be seen soon.”
Ancel’s first video game credit came in 1989, when he worked as a graphics artist on The Intruder. His first game as a programmer and artist came in 1990, when Ubisoft published The Brain Blasters. Ancel continued working with Ubisoft throughout the rest of his career, making his directorial debut with 1995’s Rayman and continuing to lead the platforming series from that point on.
Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed who will be taking the reins of Beyond Good and Evil 2 now that Ancel has stepped down as director, while the publisher has remained silent on Wild‘s development for a significant period of time.
