Which 1999 game is listed as the first 3D Rayman game?

Rayman 2: The Great Escape is the 1999 game listed as the first 3D Rayman game. It moved the series away from the original Rayman’s hand-drawn, side-scrolling platforming into free-roaming 3D environments.

Developed by Ubi Pictures and published by Ubi Soft, Rayman 2 was directed by Michel Ancel. Its story sends Rayman across the Glade of Dreams to resist an invasion by robotic pirates led by Admiral Razorbeard. The shift to 3D allowed the series to emphasize exploration, open environments, platforming depth, and cinematic set pieces.

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc also uses 3D gameplay, but it followed Rayman 2 in 2003 and therefore cannot be the first. Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends returned to primarily 2D platforming and arrived much later, in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Ports and reinterpretations—such as Rayman Revolution and Rayman 3D—do not change Rayman 2’s place in the series’ history.