Fortnite is made by a huge staff of developers, as one of the central projects for Epic Games. This weekend we’ve learnt the title is losing one of its most senior figures though, Donald Mustard. What does the loss of Epic’s Chief Creative officer mean for the Battle Royale?
Donald Mustard has been at Epic for quite a while. Since his studio Chair Entertainment was acquired by them in 2008. By the mid-2010s though, he was helming a new project at the developer. This would go on to be the Battle Royale Fortnite. Off the back of Fortnite’s huge success and revolutionary impact, he eventually became Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games.
Source: Game Awards
Far from his new position meaning a lack of focus on Fortnite, Donald Mustard remained an important part of the Battle Royale’s growth. A key part of all Fortnite seasons and growth. He’s held up as one of the people behind making Fortnite what it has become, a complete phenomenon that goes past just being a simple Battle Royale.
This week, we’ve learned that Donald Mustard is stepping down from Fortnite. He posted on social media saying that he would be retiring from his role this month.
Donald Mustard Retiring from Fortnite
Mustard wrote “I have enjoyed nearly 25 years in the game industry collaborating with some of the talented people ever and I am so proud of what we have made together… I am especially proud of the opportunity I’ve had to help create and shape Fortnite.”
Talking more specifically about the game, he said “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”.
“Leaping from the Battle Bus for the very first time, seeing the rocket crack open the sky, dancing with friends after a Victory Royale, being sucked into a black hole or being washed out to sea as the Island flipped over – and on and on!”. Talking about the future of Fortnite, 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!”
It’s always sad to lose someone so instrumental to how Fortnite became what it is today. What does it mean for the future of the game though?
Future of Fortnite
Losing such a key figure is bound to have an impact. Although, it does seem like Fortnite is still in good hands. A game with constant Fortnite updates and content coming has to have a big development team, it’s too large to really be overseen by any single person. The whole development team at Fortnite has lately been releasing some of the best content we’ve ever seen. It doesn’t look like this is changing anytime soon.
Beyond this current great season, the success of Chapter 5 has been a focus for Epic for quite a while. Internal emails released about reorganization at Epic revealed that Chapter 5 and the Lego collab, both still upcoming this year, were being prioritized over more recent content. We definitely have more to look forward to at the moment. With Donald Mustard retiring, Fortnite is losing one of its most senior figures. However, the game seems to be in great hands right now.
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