Phil Spencer Updates on Rare's Everwild Development Progress

Ever since Rare announced Everwild during Microsoft's X019 presentation over five years ago, fans have been eagerly awaiting updates. Despite repeated absences from Xbox showcases and rumors of reboots, the project is very much alive. Xbox head Phil Spencer has confirmed his enthusiasm for Everwild, emphasizing the progress being made at Rare, the UK studio behind the live service pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves.

In a recent interview with XboxEra, Spencer highlighted Everwild as one of the upcoming games he's excited about. He mentioned a recent visit to Rare, where he got a firsthand look at the development of Everwild. "Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board. I do think the work that Double Fine's doing and how Tim [Schafer] kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I'll say because I was recently out at Rare. It's nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they're making," Spencer stated.

Spencer also emphasized Microsoft's commitment to giving development teams the time they need, even with a robust release schedule bolstered by the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. "We can give those teams time," he said, adding that he would soon visit the Coalition in Vancouver, the developers behind Gears of War.

Everwild has faced its share of challenges, including the departure of creative director Simon Woodroffe in 2020 and rumors of a reboot, which Microsoft has denied. Veteran designer Gregg Mayles, known for his work on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Piñata, and Sea of Thieves, has since taken over as director.

As for what Everwild entails, reports suggest it's a third-person adventure game with god game elements, though its long development cycle may have led to changes. The last trailer, released in July 2020, described Everwild as "a brand new IP from Rare. A unique and unforgettable experience awaits in a natural and magical world."

Microsoft's pipeline is packed with other in-development titles, including the Perfect Dark reboot, the next Halo, and Playground's new Fable game. Bethesda is working on The Elder Scrolls 6, while Activision is developing this year's Call of Duty. In the near future, id Software's Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch in May.