LogInGregg Mayles announced his resignation and thanked players and colleagues.
Rare
Gregg Mayles, known for his work on beloved titles such as Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, and Sea of Thieves, leaves Rare after 36 years at the studio.
The developer announced the news in an X/Twitter post, expressing gratitude to the players who enjoyed the games he created and to his colleagues. In a poetic form, the developer outlined his journey at Rare, which started back in 1989, recalling his work as a tester, as a designer, and referencing the titles that he had been crafting:
Mayles contributed to many legendary titles of Rare. Thus, he was a director of the iconic Nintendo platformers, 1998 Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel Banjo-Tooie, which came two years later, and a creative director of the 2006 life sim and gardening game Viva Piñata. As for more recent work, Mayles defined the creative vision of Sea of Thieves, a pirate-themed sandbox featuring exploration, battling, and treasure-hunting.
Among the more recent Rare titles that may have also been led by Mayles was the action-adventure game Everwild. Announced in 2019, the project was unfortunately canceled. Reports suggested that the game would have been reminiscent of another Rare classic, Viva Piñata.
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