Donald Mustard will not be probably the most well-known title in gaming, however he is undoubtedly some of the influential. For the previous seven years he is been the chief inventive officer at Epic Video games and “Loremaster of Fortnite”—the large hand on the wheel of one of many greatest videogame phenomena of all time. However quickly that period will come to an finish, as Mustard has introduced that he’s retiring.
Mustard’s first videogame credit score, based on Mobygames, is on the 2002 motion recreation Bloodrayne. In 2005 he co-founded Chair Leisure, the developer of the Xbox shooter Undertow, which was acquired by Epic Video games in 2008. Mustard remained as inventive director on the studio, helming the event of Shadow Complicated and the Infinity Blade cellular video games, till 2016 when he grew to become CCO at Epic.
“I’ve loved practically 25 years within the recreation business collaborating with a number of the most proficient folks ever and I’m so happy with what we’ve got made collectively,” Mustard stated in a farewell message on Twitter. “From the formidable Introduction Rising, to the beginning of ChAIR the place we created Undertow, Shadow Complicated, and the Infinity Blade trilogy, to the honour of our tiny group turning into a part of Epic, every new chapter allowed me to perform one thing new and unique. I’m particularly happy with the chance I’ve had to assist create and form Fortnite.
“I’m humbled to have been part of the group that every single day tries to convey ‘pleasure and delight’ to the Fortnite neighborhood! We love watching you expertise each second—leaping from the Battle Bus for the very first time, seeing the rocket crack open the sky, dancing with associates after a Victory Royale, being sucked right into a black gap or being washed out to sea as The Island flipped over—and on and on! I can’t wait to now share in the way forward for Fortnite as a participant alongside all of you! The groups are in the most effective arms and they’re engaged on enormous, jaw dropping, superb issues!!!”
Since then, he is shepherded by its outstanding transformation from an unremarkable co-op survival recreation to a literal billion-dollar recreation that is had crossovers with just about each main leisure franchise you care to call. Fortnite’s success has additionally enabled Epic to finance the primary actual competitors to Steam, and to wage warfare in opposition to Apple and Google. It is exhausting to overstate the impression that Fortnite has had, and Mustard has been there for all of it.
Epic Video games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney thanked Mustard for the “superb instances and accomplishments.”
As for what he is acquired in thoughts for his post-Epic life, Mustard stated he is “excited to spend time with [his] spouse and household.”