Ubisoft has just recently renewed its trademark for Beyond Good & Evil. The French-based video game publisher and developer has long been working on a sequel to the 2003 cult-classic, so this trademark renewal could mean many different things for Beyond Good & Evil and Ubisoft.
When a publisher renews a trademark, speculation often comes forth. Although the renewal could simply be necessary behind-the-scenes paperwork, it also sometimes leads to exciting news, like how the game Skate 4 was revealed this year after EA renewed the Skate trademark late in 2019.
There are many possibilities as to why Ubisoft renewed the Beyond Good & Evil trademark. The least exciting option is simply that Ubisoft is renewing the IP to maintain ownership of it. Of course, Ubisoft is happy with the development of Beyond Good & Evil 2, and the game will eventually release. So the news of the renewal does not come with sudden expectations for an unannounced sequel. But there are still other intriguing things to think about with the trademark news.
The original Beyond Good & Evil was released 17 years ago, and the similarly well-received Beyond Good & Evil HD remaster was released in 2011. In a world with constant remakes and remasters, it seems like it would not be a bad idea to bring back the original game again, especially anchored around excitement for the upcoming sequel. Whether it be a touch up to bring the game into the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 generation, or a total remake like that of Final Fantasy 7 or what Capcom has done with the Resident Evil games, the trademark could point to a return of the original title.
There is also a Beyond Good & Evil movie adaptation headed to Netflix. The film is being worked on by the same developer behind the hit Detective Pikachu movie, Rob Letterman. Letterman brought humor and wit to the Pokemon movie, along with some excellent special effects. All of this is something that also would be expected in a good Beyond Good & Evil film. The trademark renewal could certainly have something to do with this, although the details of the trademark include gaming, comics, books, stickers, pens, and even coffee tables; but no mention of film.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 might top the list of games that fans are waiting to hear more from after being announced some time ago. It can be frustrating to go long gaps without significant updates. While a trademark renewal may not bring the same excitement as a gigantic gameplay reveal, it at least reminds the gaming world that Ubisoft is still very much invested in Beyond Good & Evil.
Source: US Patent and Trademark Office