Rare’s cancelled game has surfaced — Everwild screenshots reveal the game we never got

Thanks to a former artist at Rare, we’ve finally got a new look at the cancelled Everwild. Initially spotted by fans and later reported by outlets like PureXbox, the leaked screenshots give us a glimpse of what could have been, offering tangible proof of how the game might have looked before its cancellation by Microsoft. Whilst the screenshots aren't verified, they do appear to be genuine.

The cancelled title fascinated players from the moment it was revealed. Rare has always carried a prestigious aura — from its early partnership with Nintendo to its acquisition by Xbox.

Many fans have long felt the studio was underused, but Sea of Thieves finally showed what a modern Rare could achieve. Everwild, as the studio’s first new IP since Sea of Thieves, had people excited to see what would come next. Unfortunately, a troubled development meant the game never saw the light of day.

From reboot to cancellation

Despite positive fan reception when it was revealed in 2019, Everwild reportedly faced issues throughout its development. Beneath its beautiful world, the game struggled to find a clear gameplay identity or defined mechanics.

Rare’s creative director, Simon Woodroffe, left the studio in 2020, leaving the project without a lead for several months. In 2021, veteran designer Gregg Mayles stepped in and led a full reboot, restarting development with a new design and gameplay structure.

After that, fans never saw another trailer. In early 2025, Phil Spencer commented that Everwild was “making progress,” but that progress ultimately wasn’t enough. In 2025, Microsoft cancelled the game during company-wide layoffs that affected around 9,000 employees, including key staff at Rare.

The cancellation left a lasting mark on both the studio and Xbox’s reputation. It added to a growing sense of uncertainty surrounding the brand — a feeling still echoed by fans today. Every few weeks, new “Xbox is dead” rumors seem to resurface and spiral online. One recent example claimed that Target and Walmart were pulling Xbox stock from shelves, a false story based on a two-year-old photo that still went viral, forcing Xbox to publicly debunk it.

What the screenshots show

Image 1 of 4

The supposedly leaked screenshots give us a real glimpse into what fans might have expected from Everwild. They reveal an inventory system with sections for figments, tools, mosaics, seeds, and plants — each hinting at the kind of game Rare was trying to build.

The figments are particularly interesting to me. They feel like a cross between Pikmin and the Koroks from The Legend of Zelda, small spirit-like companions that could have added charm and life to the world. Judging by the seeds and plants categories, it looks like Rare may have been leaning toward a farming or nurturing-style experience. It’s a shame the studio couldn’t quite bring that vision together, because the art style alone is genuinely impressive.

As a Viva Piñata fan, I can’t help but imagine Everwild as a sort of spiritual successor. Sadly, it seems unlikely we’ll ever see another entry in that franchise — or a game quite like this one.

Should Xbox have cancelled Everwild?

It’s hard to say from this small glimpse, but with how talented Rare is, it’s tough to imagine it couldn’t have created something special for fans. It would be a shame to see the studio relegated solely to Sea of Thieves when it’s proven capable of so much more.

If I were to put on a tinfoil hat for a moment, it’s also hard to imagine a game described as a “natural and magical world,” and “an experience, not just a game,” failing on a console like the Nintendo Switch 2. Still, taking on the role of the Eternals, humans like character who connected to nature and its creatures — isn’t something we’ll get to experience now, and that’s genuinely disappointing.

There’s always been something special about Rare. The studio’s worlds have a distinct charm, and Everwild seemed like another opportunity to show that magic. I’d love to know what others think about the leaked screenshots — would you want Everwild to be uncancelled, or is this another Scalebound situation destined to resurface every few years?

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!