Everwild's exec producer moves from Rare to Xbox Game Studios following cancellation and Microsoft layoffs

Everwild's executive producer has a new role at Xbox, following the cancellation of Rare's long-in-development project.

Amidst layoffs at Microsoft in July, Rare's fantasy adventure Everwild was cancelled and a number of employees at the British studio lost their jobs.

Now, as reported by VGC, the game's executive producer Louise O'Connor has moved to Xbox Game Studios as its chief of staff, following 25 years at Rare.

The move comes almost a year after former head of Rare Craig Duncan became head of Xbox Game Studios, after Alan Hartman retired.

O'Connor first worked at Rare on Conker's Bad Fur Day for the N64. She later worked at the studio as head of animation and its incubation director, responsible for innovation.

Everwild was first revealed in 2019 as the next big project from Rare. It surfaced again in 2020 with a trailer (above) featuring gorgeous environments and creatures, but little was seen aftewards until its cancellation.

Notably, Rare veteran Gregg Mayles also left the studio in the wake of the Microsoft layoffs, after 35 years.

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