Donald Mustard shared his departure from Epic Games on social media following a seven year stint as the company’s chief creative officer.
Mustard was the mind behind Fortnite‘s sprawling story that has unfurled across live seasons since its inception in 2017. Previously, he had described the island itself as the main character with major evolutions experienced in a black hole, the cube, chrome storms, and meteor strikes.
Furthermore, Fortnite became synonymous with significant crossovers that introduced characters and locations from major properties like Transformers, Stranger Things, Star Wars and Dragon Ball Z to the game.
“Each new chapter allowed me to accomplish something new and original. I am especially proud of the opportunity I’ve had to help create and shape Fortnite,” he said, recalling his contributions over the course of 25 years in the games industry as well as his time at Epic Games.
After an incredible adventure, I will be retiring from my role as Chief Creative Officer at Epic this month.
I have enjoyed nearly 25 years in the game industry collaborating with some of the most talented people ever and I am so proud of what we have made together. From the… pic.twitter.com/9KJT9Jg2jr
— Donald Mustard (@DonaldMustard) September 8, 2023
Mustard joined Epic Games after its acquisition of ChAIR Entertainment Group where he helped develop Undertow and Shadow Complex for the Xbox 360 and the Infinity Blade trilogy of titles for iOS devices.
Though he did not say where his next step in his career is, he said that he is excited to “spend time with [his] wife and family”. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, thanked him for “amazing times and accomplishments” and vice president Mark Rein said it was “a huge honour to watch [his] career flourish and be [his] friend“.
“I can’t wait to now share in the future of Fortnite as a player alongside all of you! The teams are in the best hands and they are working on huge, jaw dropping, amazing things!” he concluded.
In other gaming news, the offices of the developer of Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl caught fire, causing the destruction of a whole floor and damages equivalent to 1.5million Czech crowns.
The post ‘Fortnite’ loremaster Donald Mustard leaves Epic Games appeared first on NME.
