Gregg Mayles has confirmed he’s leaving Rare after spending 36 years at the legendary studio. The veteran game designer announced his departure this week with a simple message: “Thanks to everyone who played.”
Mayles joined Rare in 1989 and became one of the studio’s most influential creative voices during its golden era. He directed both Banjo-Kazooie in 1998 and its sequel Banjo-Tooie in 2000, two landmark Nintendo 64 platformers that defined the collectathon genre alongside games like Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64.
His work on Banjo-Kazooie established him as a key architect of Rare’s signature design philosophy. The games combined sprawling worlds packed with collectibles, British humor, and memorable characters designed by his brother Steve Mayles. Grant Kirkhope’s iconic soundtrack completed the package that made both titles enduring classics.
Beyond the bear and bird duo, Mayles contributed to Rare’s Super Nintendo output during the Donkey Kong Country era. He later served as creative director on Viva Piñata in 2006, the colorful life-simulation game that earned critical acclaim for its creativity and depth.
More recently, Mayles took on creative leadership for Sea of Thieves, Rare’s pirate adventure game that launched in 2018. The live-service title has grown into one of Microsoft’s success stories, expanding to PlayStation 5 in 2024 and reaching tens of millions of players across all platforms. The game spent seven months in the top ten best-sellers on PlayStation Network last year.
Industry reports indicate Mayles also stepped in to guide Everwild, Rare’s mysterious new IP announced in 2019, after the project experienced leadership changes during development. Details about the game remain scarce, and Mayles’ departure announcement made no mention of the project’s current status.
Rare has undergone significant transformation since Microsoft acquired the studio in 2002. While the company produced titles like Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, and the vehicle-focused Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts in the years following the acquisition, recent focus has shifted toward new properties and live-service games rather than revisiting classic franchises.
The studio has previously stated it’s not interested in returning to legacy IP internally but remains open to collaborations. Banjo and Kazooie appeared as DLC fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019, a rare example of Microsoft allowing its characters into a Nintendo crossover.
Where the old team went
Many of Rare’s original core team departed years ago to form Playtonic Games. That studio released Yooka-Laylee in 2017 and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair in 2019, spiritual successors to the Banjo-Kazooie formula. Steve Mayles, Chris Sutherland, and other Banjo veterans now work at Playtonic, making Gregg Mayles one of the last remaining links to Rare’s Nintendo 64 heyday.
His departure announcement provided no details about his next move, whether he’s retiring, joining another studio, or pursuing independent work. Rare and Microsoft have not announced who will assume his responsibilities or any changes to current projects.
