Beyond Good And Evil 2 director Emile Morel dies suddenly aged 40

The games industry is mourning the loss of Emile Morel, a game designer and creative director at Ubisoft who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 40.

Morel was a significant part of the Ubisoft team, which he joined in 2009. He worked on a number of high-profile projects, most notably Rayman Legends, Space Monkeys and most recently, Beyond Good and Evil 2, which has been in active development for a while.

First reported by IGN, the unfortunate news of his passing was shared via two LinkedIn posts, which were written by two of Morel’s close friends and colleagues - both of which shared touching tributes to his life, career, and character.

Former colleague M. Gabrielle Shrager said: "A cherished colleague for over a decade at Ubisoft Montpellier, we laughed and wept through good times and bad, and shipped a lot great games together … He will be sorely missed.”

Another colleague, Greg Hermittant wrote: “Rest in peace my dear Emile Morel. You've been such a great and kind partner during all these years at Ubisoft. I'm grateful to have worked with you on so many projects. Even through the most difficult times, you always remained the caring and supportive person you were with your beautiful positive mind. But the most important is the wonderful moments we had. With no doubts Rayman Legends is my best memory.”

Morel’s colleagues have said they will continue working on Beyond Good and Evil 2, a project Morel was reportedly “very proud of”.

Fans of his work as well as fellow industry professionals have also shared their respects, as well as their condolences to Morel’s family and friends. Ubisoft is yet to provide an official statement on Morel’s tragic passing.

We at GAMINGbible extend our condolences to Morel's family, friends, and colleagues.