Epic Games chief creative officer Donald Mustard is leaving the company. Mustard confirmed the news on Twitter/X, saying he plans to step down later this month.
Mustard has been making games for a quarter of a century, but most recently he was a top boss at Epic and one of the leaders of the incredibly popular Fornite. Before that, he worked at GlyphX Games on Advent Rising before starting his own company, Chair Entertainment, with his brother Geremy. That studio is known for the games Shadow Complex and the Infinity Blade series. Epic Games bought the company in 2008, and Mustard rose through the ranks to become chief creative officer.
“I am especially proud of the opportunity I’ve had to help create and shape Fortnite,” Mustard said in his farewell post on social media.
“I am humbled to have been a part of the team that every day tries to bring ‘joy and delight’ to the Fortnite community! We love watching you experience every moment,” he said. “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!!!”
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 ended his message by saying he is “forever grateful” to Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney and the entire Epic Games team. He did not say what he might be doing next professionally, but Mustard added that he is “excited to spend time with my wife and family.”
Beyond games, Mustard had cameo roles in the movies Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Matrix Resurrections, and Avengers: Endgame.
Fortnite is one of the most popular and influential games ever created, and it’ll be interesting to see how the game continues to grow and evolve overtime under new leadership.