Gregg Mayles, the veteran game designer behind Banjo-Kazooie and Sea of Thieves, has announced his departure from British video game developer Rare Ltd. after 36 years, marking the end of one of the longest careers in the studio’s history.
Mayles, who joined Rare in 1989 straight out of high school, revealed his exit in a post on X titled “A Rather Resplendent Rewarding Rare Ramble,” in which he reflected on his decades-long career. “Now time to start new tales to tell, Farewell to Rare, he waves, farewell!” he wrote.
Throughout his tenure, Mayles contributed to over 30 titles that helped define Rare’s creative legacy. His work spanned from early hits such as Battletoads and Donkey Kong Country to Viva Piñata and the studio’s recent live-service success, Sea of Thieves, which has attracted more than 40 million players across platforms since its 2018 launch.
The announcement follows a difficult period for Rare, which has faced shifting priorities and project cancellations under Microsoft’s ownership. Mayles had been leading the development of Everwild, an ambitious open-world project unveiled in 2019, which was canceled in July 2025 amid Microsoft’s broader workforce reductions affecting up to 9,000 employees.
Sources familiar with the matter suggested that the termination of Everwild may have influenced Mayles’ decision to leave the company, although he did not cite specific reasons in his statement. Rare, acquired by Microsoft in 2002 for $375 million, has yet to comment on Mayles’ departure.