First screenshots of Rare’s ill-fated Everwild emerge thanks to artist’s portfolio website

Screenshots of Rare’s now-cancelled Everwild have emerged via the portfolio website of an artist who worked on the game.

The game was first announced back in 2019 as Rare’s next big release. It was shown with an animated trailer of colourful environments and beautifully strange fantasy creatures, its visuals making an immediate impact. It was then shown again the following year with a new trailer, showing player Eternals soothing those strange creatures.

Still, it wasn’t clear exactly how it would play, but before we had a chance to find out, the game was cancelled earlier this year following widespread layoffs at Microsoft.

Now, screenshots of the game’s UI have been spotted by mp1st, reportedly taken from a version of the game close to its cancellation.

The screenshots show the inventory menu, with players able to cycle between Favourites, Figments, Tools, Mosaics, Seeds, and Plants. Figments, in particular, look like strange little plant creatures.

To the right of the menu is an in-game view of the player character standing by a stone circle. While the menus suggest some sort of farming or base-building customisation gameplay, it’s unknown if this is the main game or just a side activity.

Other screenshots show a list of graphical settings, while a couple of others give blurry, foggy views of the stylised visuals.

It’s not much to go on, admittedly, but it’s the only look at the game we’ve seen beyond the initial trailers.

Back in February of this year, CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer commented on the “progress” Rare was making.

“It has been [a while],” he said. “And we’ve been able to give those teams time in what they’re doing which is good and still have a portfolio like we have.

“It’s like a dream that Matt [Booty] and I have had for a long time, so it’s finally good to be there. We can give those teams time.”

Sadly, that time came to an end for Everwild. It’s now unclear what the studio will be working on, beyond its live-service pirate game Sea of Thieves.

These screenshots follow a similar leak of the also-cancelled Perfect Dark, Rare’s franchise that was set to be rebooted by The Initiative.