When it comes to developer Rare, most recognized for Banjo-Kazooie & Conker, it is now focused primarily on Sea of Thieves. Since launching in 2018, the live-service has been a continued success and even became one of Xbox’s pioneering multiplatform releases last year arriving to PlayStation 5. By the summer, Sea of Thieves amassed more than 40 million players in its lifetime.
Additionally, Rare has been quietly working on a new IP – Everwild. The game was showcased to be visually stunning and unlike other Rare releases before it when shown off in 2019. But in 2021, the game was hit with a reboot internally as it wanted to recalibrate the approach to the new series. But with the recent layoffs that has closed The Initiative and canceled Perfect Dark, there is grave news for the upcoming project.
As per Windows Central, it is confirmed via a memo sent from Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty that Everwild isn’t to proceed further development. “We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,” Booty shared in the internal memo.
Elsewhere coined by Video Game Chronicle, one of Rare’s most seasoned employees is set to exit the developer as a result of the recent motion from Microsoft. Gregg Mayles, whose been a steering the direction for Sea of Thieves as well as Everwild, is to depart from the team with a 30+ year tenure at the developer according to sources.
Mayles with roughly 30 titles under his belt since 1990 with Jetman will surely be a loss for the studio. Furthermore, executive producer Louise O’Connor is also planning to leave Rare as well, the same sources say. Her history at Rare kicked off with Conker Bad Fur Day back in 2001. She is also exiting as a response to the shuttering of Everwild’s development.
What are you most shocked from this recent development at Xbox Game Studios?
Source: Video Game Chronicle
