Report: Everwild Has Restarted Development, Coming 2024

Microsoft’s E3 2021 showcase was a smash hit. It was filled with big announcements from both third-party developers and Microsoft’s own first-party teams. Some of their first-party games didn’t appear though, with one of them Rare’s new IP Everwild. Now thanks to a new report, we know why that is the case.

According to a report from VGC, their sources have informed them that development on Everwild has been “completely rebooted” ever since its former Creative Director Simon Woodroffe left the studio last year. VGC says that this has resulted in the design and direction of the game undergoing a “complete overhaul,” with their sources saying it’s basically been “restarted from scratch.” The game’s senior leadership has also undergone some changes as well in the time since Woodroffe’s departure.

With this shift in development, Everwild is unlikely to come out for at least a couple years. Sources told VGC that the game is “optimistically” aiming to release in 2024, and that designer Gregg Mayles, one of Rare’s most senior employees has been brought in to help lead the project. Mayles previously worked on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Piñata, and Sea of Thieves. Mayles’ appointment to project lead was confirmed to VGC by Louise O’Connor, Executive Producer on Everwild.

“Gregg Mayles joined us, late last year as Creative Director, and the team has never been stronger,” O’Connor said. “Since showing the world our Eternals trailer, we have been making progress on all aspects of Everwild.”

Everwild was first announced in 2019, and appeared again last year during Microsoft’s July games showcase. Aside from those two appearances, we hadn’t heard or seen much from the game. Near the end of 2020, Rare Studio head Craig Duncan explained in an interview with Polygon that this was because the team was still “playing around with gameplay ideas.”

“We’ll have plenty to say in the future on that, but … we have an idea we feel really passionate about, and we think there’s something special. I have a team of people that wake up every morning with the desire to make this game that they’re really, really passionate about.”

Everwild is a mysterious game with a beautiful art style, so it’s a shame to hear that the team is struggling to bring it together. Hopefully the new changes and direction the studio is taking with it will be the one that sticks and brings the game to a successful release in a couple years.