Peter Molyneux, a figure long associated with ambitious game design, has offered a glimmer of hope for fans of his cult classic god game, Black & White. While a full sequel, Black & White 3, appears unlikely due to development complexities and rights ownership issues, Molyneux suggested that a remaster of the original title may be in the works.
Speaking in an interview, Molyneux detailed the significant technical hurdles involved in developing a game like Black & White. He explained that the original's groundbreaking systems, which allowed players to be anywhere in the world at any time, required unique solutions in an era before readily available middleware. "It's such a difficult, difficult, challenging title to develop," Molyneux stated, noting that these challenges persist even with his current project, Masters of Albion.
The primary obstacle to a new Black & White game, however, is not technical but rather a matter of intellectual property. Molyneux pointed out that the rights to the series are held by different major publishers – EA for Black & White 3 and Microsoft for Black & White 4 – making it challenging to secure the necessary backing for a new installment that might not align with current market trends for large-scale games.
Despite the dim prospects for a direct sequel, Molyneux did offer a tantalizing hint regarding the original game. When questioned about potential new entries, he commented, "there are people working on a Black & White remaster. But it would be inappropriate for me to talk about it." While he refrained from elaborating, this statement suggests that efforts are underway to bring the beloved original to modern platforms. Molyneux's studio, 22cans, does not own the rights to Black & White and is currently focused on Masters of Albion, which recently faced scrutiny for offering a closed beta while already being in early access.