Banjo-Kazooie director Gregg Mayles confirms he's left Rare

Gregg Mayles, the director of Sea of Thieves and designer on Donkey Kong Country, has announced his departure from Rare, the game studio he had been with for 36 years. Mayles was a key figure in the studio's history, contributing to iconic games like Banjo-Kazooie and leading the team behind Sea of Thieves. The news comes amid a turbulent period for Xbox Games Studios, with layoffs, game cancellations, and price increases for Xbox consoles and Game Pass Ultimate. Mayles' exit is likely linked to the troubled development of Everwild, a new project he had been directing, which was reportedly canceled in 2021. Mayles' departure is seen as another example of the challenges Microsoft is facing as it attempts to shift its Xbox business towards a greater focus on subscriptions and game publishing. The transition appears to be a painful one, with the company making cuts across multiple studios, including Halo and Forza Motorsport.