Details from the Patrice Desilets’ Reboot Develop 2017 live presentation – Via VG247 • The game is no longer episodic as it’s grown too big.

• The game is currently playable but isn’t ready to release anytime soon. Panache does have a date in mind for release so it’s not a “ship when it’s ready” affair.

• “It’s a third-person action adventure game set 10 million to 2 million years ago,” according to Desilets. • There will be resource management and survival elements. • The team has discussed cannibalism and whether it should feature in the game as it has in human history. • On fighting or tribal conflict in the game: “Eventually, maybe, there will be conflict [in the game] but it’s not there yet.” • The game was originally about playing “hour to hour” when episodic, now it’s “open, bigger” and “has systems working together”. • The same animator who created Ezio in Assassin’s Creed and the prince in Prince of Persia is working on the characters of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. • A significant part of the game is set in Africa: “the game world is big,” says Desilets, but he’s not keen to spoil too much of the game ahead of the release. • “It’s the first time I’ve created a character who interacts with the jungle. There are no walls. What’s the light like? I’ve never worked on that before. There’s no sword, no swordfights. Eventually you get a branch…” • Desilets wants players to “have fun with the toy I’m giving you and you’ll create the story of your ancestors.” • Desilet’s other project, 1666: Amsterdam, is currently on hold while work continues on Ancestors. • The project is “well funded” and being built by 32 staff at the studio in Montreal. When you work at Panache, no one works on a Monday.

• On hiring female staff to work on his game: “If the candidate has a dick he’s not hired. I’m not telling the story of humankind only with guys. It didn’t happen that way. You need to make babies.”