Rumors suggest that Rare might be sold by Microsoft.

The British studio has recently faced severe internal turmoil after the definitive cancellation of the mysterious project Everwild, which resulted in significant staff cuts and a reshuffling of the team’s creative leadership. According to the information shared by the newsletter Knowledge, edited by the magazine EDGE, the legendary developer of Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 was included in an internal memo listing studios vulnerable to drastic budget reductions implemented by the owner of the green ecosystem. It is disheartening to see a creative house with so much history and unique identity being treated as merely a financial liability in a cost-cutting process.

The editor-in-chief Patrick Garratt stirred the backstage even further by publicly stating on social media that he received direct reports indicating that Rare is effectively on the market to be acquired by other companies. All this intense speculation unfolds in the silence from Microsoft, which has chosen not to comment or issue any official statement to debunk the rumors. This prolonged corporate silence is damaging because it feeds employee insecurity and keeps the fan community in a constant state of anxiety regarding the brand's fate.

Despite the whirlwind of negative news, insider information suggests that the popular pirate game Sea of Thieves is not expected to be abruptly shut down and will continue to receive technical support and new temporary content. However, the speed and scope of future updates planned for the game enter a territory of total uncertainty if the restructuring proceeds as anticipated. Destabilizing the flow of one of the few games that have managed to build a solid and loyal community in recent years seems like a monumental strategic misstep by the American publisher.

It is worth emphasizing that all these operational scenarios still strictly reside in the realm of rumors and leaks, without any type of documented confirmation from the upper echelons of the involved companies. The gaming market has changed direction at an alarmingly fast pace, and the plan to make the console brand lighter could result in either a complete shutdown or a portfolio transfer to some Asian giant. The hope is that, regardless of the logo that graces the studio’s entrance, the team will receive the freedom and funding the current owners seem hesitant to provide.