Summary
A key part of theFortnitedeveloper team and Epic Games' chief creative officer is retiring. Donald Mustard has been a part of Epic Games since 2008 when the studio he founded, Chair Entertainment, was acquired. In 2016, Mustard stepped into the role of Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games and helped guideFortnite’s launch and growth. But now Mustard is ready to move on from the role. He’ll be retiring from Epic Games to spend more time with his family.
Donald Mustard helped found Chair Entertainment in 2005 and served as creative director for the studio’s many successes. Chair’s games includeUndertow,Shadow Complex, and a trilogy ofInfinity Bladegames developed for mobile devices. As noted, Chair was acquired by Epic Games in 2008, but Mustard didn’t step into his chief creative officer role until 2016. His time since has largely been dedicated toFortnite, though he’s also overseen the release of theVR shooterRobo Recalland Chair’sBattle Breakers.
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In an announcement made on Twitter, Mustard confirmed that after 25 years in the video game industry he’d decided to retire from hisrole at Epic Games. He mentioned how proud he is of the work he’s done both at Chair and at Epic Games, working with “some of the most talented people ever.” He points toFortnitespecifically, mentioning how he helped “create and shape” the battle royale since it launched in 2017.
Mustard specifically says he’s retiring from his role at Epic Games and not from game development entirely. However, he makes no mention of future game development plans. He says that he’s excited to spend time with his family, which could be indicative of full retirement. There’s still an ambiguity that leaves room for plans to return to the game industry down the line.
What this means for thefuture ofFortniteisn’t clear, but Mustard teases some exciting plans as part of his goodbye. He says that theFortnitedevelopment team is working on “huge, jaw dropping, amazing things.” There’s no mention of who might become Epic Games' next Chief Creative Director or who will oversee creative direction onFortnite.
To say that Mustard has left his mark on the video game industry would be a gross understatement. He’s been Chief Creative Officer over the biggest game release of its time. Theways thatFortnitehas changed the industry, both through gameplay and content delivery, are difficult to define. His pride over his work is well deserved. Hopefully, it’s not the last time Mustard makes games.
Fortniteis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and mobile devices.
