A newly discovered developer job listing for Everwild mentions that “a large scale multiplayer world” is at the heart of the game. That’s not particularly surprising, considering the enchanting landscapes that Everwild trailers have showed off so far, but it also implies that Everwild may be more similar to Sea of Thieves than fans originally expected. Rare has a good handle on multiplayer open worlds now thanks to Sea of Thieves, so it seems like a worthy inspiration for Everwild, even though the latter game is still bound to look very different from Sea of Thieves due to its emphasis on nature and magic.
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How Everwild and Sea of Thieves Might Compare
Everwild may intend to borrow free-form exploration and teamwork elements from Sea of Thieves in order to succeed. In Sea of Thieves, players are free to explore the open ocean in whatever direction they choose, seeking out buried treasure and completing quests at their own pace. Everwild could have a similar open world where the playable Eternals can simply wander the landscape, searching for places where their skills are needed. Sailing in Sea of Thieves and multiplayer battles also place a heavy emphasis on teamwork which could crop up in Everwild. Cinematic trailers sometimes show the Eternals working together to weave spells and commune with spirits, meaning there might be mechanics that emphasize cooperation much like Sea of Thieves’ ships.
Although broad elements like these would be easy for Everwild to borrow, there are still major ways in which it’ll be distinct from Rare’s other ongoing work. Everwild could be far more peaceful than Sea of Thieves, for instance. While Sea of Thieves constantly puts players in PvP and PvE battles on land and sea, Everwild has a more gentle, pastoral aesthetic that makes combat’s place unclear. The use of magic is bound to make Everwild distinct too. Sea of Thieves may focus on the player’s swashbuckling skills, but Everwild will put nature magic in the player’s hands, allowing for entirely different ways of affecting the environment, allies, and enemies.
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Leaning Into Sea of Thieves’ Success
It’d make a lot of sense of Everwild ended up looking a lot like Sea of Thieves. Although it got mixed reviews at launch, Sea of Thieves has grown significantly in the last few years thanks to Rare’s frequent updates, which have made it a far richer experience than ever before. Rare has clearly found a formula that works in Sea of Thieves, so logically it would be interested in applying that formula to a different style of game. Everwild’s highly distinct setting is perfect for putting a twist on the ideas at the heart of Sea of Thieves.
After the news that Everwild was languishing in development, it’s great to see new job listings indicating that the game is still moving forward. Rare has accomplished much in its time, and Sea of Thieves indicates that it’s still capable of producing solid games. Everwild just needs to persevere while looking up to the traits that have made Sea of Thieves succeed. A pirate game may be a strange role model for a druid game, but nevertheless, Everwild and Sea of Thieves could turn out to be worthy peers for one another.
Everwild is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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