Veteran Rare designer and director Gregg Mayles is reportedly leaving the studio in the wake of yesterday’s sweeping Xbox staff and project cuts, which included the long-in-development title Everwild.
According to VGC, Mayles’ departure concludes a remarkable 35-year career at Rare, beginning with early hits like Battletoads for the NES and continuing through the studio’s N64 heyday, where he crafted iconic characters such as Diddy Kong.
Best known as the director of the N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie, Mayles later served as creative director on the hit pirate adventure Sea of Thieves. More recently, he spent the past four years leading development on Everwild, Rare’s long-awaited fantasy follow-up that has now been officially canceled.
Microsoft has now confirmed the cancellation of Everwild, six years after its initial reveal and nearly a decade since development began. Louise O’Connor, the game’s executive producer, is also reportedly leaving Rare after more than 20 years with the studio.
IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment.
The last Everwild trailer, released in July 2020, described the game as “a brand new IP from Rare” promising “a unique and unforgettable experience set in a natural and magical world.” Earlier this year, Xbox head Phil Spencer mentioned he had recently visited the studio to check on the game’s progress, stating, “It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making.”
However, yesterday afternoon Xbox officially confirmed Everwild’s cancellation in a company-wide email from Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty. The email also confirmed the cancellation of The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot, along with several unannounced projects, including a new MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios.
“We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild, and to wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,” Booty stated.
“As part of this change, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other organizational adjustments, reflect a broader effort to refocus our priorities and allocate resources in ways that position our teams for success in an evolving industry.
“We did not make these decisions lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment.”
