Longtime Epic Games executive Donald Mustard announced Friday that he will retire from his position as chief creative officer at the company. Mustard has been an integral voice and influence at Epic Games during his time there; he joined the company in 2008 when ChAIR Entertainment—the company he co-founded with Geremy Mustard in 2005—was acquired by Epic Games. While at ChAIR, Mustard helped develop games such as Shadow Complex, Advent Rising, Undertow, and the mobile RPG series Infinity Blade.
But to younger gamers, Mustard is considered the father of Epic’s most popular game, Fortnite. Mustard oversaw the game’s incredible growth, its move into the battle royale space, and its multitude of pop culture, entertainment, sports, and other crossovers since its launch.
In a social media post on Friday, Mustard said a fond farewell to the community:
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 ambitious Advent Rising, to the start of ChAIR where we created Undertow, Shadow Complex, and the Infinity Blade trilogy, to the honor of our tiny team becoming part of Epic, each new chapter allowed me to accomplish something new and original. I am especially proud of the opportunity I’ve had to help create and shape Fortnite.
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! 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!!!
I’m excited to spend time with my wife and family and am forever grateful for @TimSweeneyEpic and the Epic Games family.