Wild director Michel Ancel claims Ubisoft’s mishandling of the PS4 exclusive was a major setback.
Initially revealed at Gamescom in 2014, Wild (stylized WiLD) was a highly anticipated survival game developed by Wild Sheep Studio exclusively for the PS4. However, recent rumors circulating in 2021 suggest that the game has been canceled. These speculations appear to hold weight as the game’s original director, Michel Ancel, has pointed fingers at Ubisoft, alleging that their mismanagement played a significant role in the demise of the project.
During an interview with Superpouvoir, Ancel shed light on the challenging production journey of Wild while he was part of the team at Wild Sheep Studio. Following significant management changes at Sony in 2018, game development came to a halt. However, when Ubisoft Paris took over the reins, the situation took a turn for the worse as Tommy François, the person in charge of the game, faced allegations of sexual harassment and ultimately departed from the company.
“Wild encountered a series of unfortunate events,” Ancel reminisced. “By 2018, we had a promising playable version of the game, but the transition to the PS5 platform took longer than expected, slowing down the production process. With major shifts in Sony’s management, the project was put on hold.”
“Ubisoft stepped in with an offer to take over the game, and shortly after, Sony expressed interest in reclaiming it, even offering to double our budget,” Ancel revealed. “Regrettably, contracts with Ubisoft had progressed significantly, leading us to decline Sony’s proposal. It was a missed opportunity.”
“It was during this transition that I reached a point of burnout, and unfortunately, the game ended up in the hands of Ubisoft’s editorial department in Paris, which was facing its own internal turmoil,” Ancel explained in reference to François’s departure.
As of 2020, Ancel parted ways with Wild Sheep Studio citing burnout as the reason for his departure. With no advocate left to champion the project, he attributes Wild’s downfall to Ubisoft’s mismanagement.
“I was no longer in a position to advocate for the game, and it ultimately suffered at the hands of individuals in that department who imposed numerous changes without truly engaging with the essence of the game,” Ancel lamented. “A true scandal. After a tumultuous two-year period, the game was ultimately abandoned under the pretext of straying from its original vision.”
(Source: Superpouvoir via VGC)