What happened to Rare's Everwild? It's been over five years since the game was announced during Microsoft's X019 presentation. Despite repeated no-shows at Xbox showcases and rumors of reboots, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that Everwild is still in development.

In an interview with XboxEra, Spencer expressed his excitement for Everwild, mentioning a recent visit to UK studio Rare, known for the live service pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves. He highlighted the progress the developers were making on Everwild, alongside other anticipated titles like State of Decay and the next game from Double Fine.

Spencer emphasized Microsoft's commitment to giving development teams the time they need, even with a packed schedule of releases bolstered by the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. He also mentioned an upcoming visit to Vancouver to meet with The Coalition, the developers behind Gears of War.

Everwild has faced challenges, including the departure of creative director Simon Woodroffe in 2020 and rumors of a reboot, which Microsoft has denied. Veteran designer Gregg Mayles, with experience on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Pinata, and Sea of Thieves, has taken over as director.

As for what Everwild is, it's described as a third-person adventure game with god game elements, though its long development time may have led to changes. The last trailer, released in July 2020, described Everwild as "a brand new IP from Rare" offering "a unique and unforgettable experience in a natural and magical world."

Microsoft has a robust lineup of in-development games, including the Perfect Dark reboot, the next Halo, and Playground's new Fable game. Bethesda is working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and Activision is developing this year's Call of Duty. In the near future, id Software's Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch in May.