Founded almost 40 years ago,Rareis one of the most renowned developers in the gaming industry. Rare got its start developing an array of licensed games, ranging from game show adaptations likeJeapordy!andWheel of Fortune, to a handful ofSesame StreetandWWFgames. ButRarereally rose to prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the introduction of beloved series likeBattletoads,Donkey Kong Country,Killer Instinct,GoldenEye 007,Banjo-Kazooie,Perfect Dark, andViva Pinata.
In its golden age, Rare was putting out 3–5 games a year. That’s quite a far cry from Rare’s current output, with the studio having not released a new game since2018’sSea of Thieves. But Rare has something new in the works, and a fresh look could start the developer’s year with a bang.
Rare Could Finally Reveal More About Everwild in 2025
Everwild’s Development Journey So Far
Though it’s been reported thatEverwildbegan development in 2014, it wasn’t officially announced until November 2019, where it appeared during Xbox’s final X0 presentation.Everwild’s debut cinematic trailershowcased the game’s general tone, atmosphere, and setting, revealing a band of magical travelers using their connection to nature to survive harsh weather conditions.
Rare’sEverwildhas never been seen since. Back in June 2021, both VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb and VGC’s Andy Robinson claimed thatEverwildhad restarted developmentfollowing the departure of the game’s original creative director, Simon Woodroffe. It was then reported that Gregg Mayles, one of Rare’s most senior members, had taken over as creative director onEverwild, and that development was back on track.
All news surroundingEverwildthen ceased completely. That is, until October of this year, whenPhil Spencer posted an imageon Threads of him and a handful of Rare developers, captioned “Great day at Rare, hanging out with the developers at their desks and playing Everwild.”
Rare’s Recent Everwild Tease Explained
With Phil Spencer’s Threads post confirming thatEverwildis still in active developmentand that it’s playable in some form, fans were filled with a newfound sense of hope for the long-awaited Rare game. That hope was bolstered just a few days ago, when Rare posted a virtual holiday greeting card on Twitter with an image seemingly referencingEverwild.
While this is far from a confirmation that Rare is ready to reveal anything new aboutEverwild, it’s a great sign to see the developer actively referencing the project in public once more.
Rare Could Re-Reveal Everwild During Xbox’s 2025 Showcases
If Rare was ready to reveal more fromEverwild, then it would have a few opportunities to do so in 2025. Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, anXbox Developer Direct has been heavily rumoredto take place again in January 2025. WithEverwildbeing an Xbox Game Studios project, it would make complete sense for it to appear there in some form.
Alternatively,Everwildcould take the spotlight briefly in Xbox’s 2025 summer showcase. While Rare doesn’t need to re-revealEverwildif it isn’t ready to do so, a brief teaser trailer this year could help to bring it back into the public consciousness, and keep fans excited for what’s to come later down the line.
Everwild
WHERE TO PLAY
Everwild is a vibrant upcoming adventure game taking place in a lush fantasy world. The game is being created by Rare and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game looks to have a fantasy setting, a third-person perspective, an open wilderness to explore, a bright art style, and more.
