Donald and Laura Mustard of Chair Entertainment.
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Fortnite steward Donald Mustard will retire from Epic Games

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 2 min

Donald Mustard said on social media he will retire from his role as chief creative officer at Epic Games this month.

That’s a big change for Mustard and Epic, as Mustard was a big contributor to Fortnite, which has generated billions of dollars in revenue over the years. Mustard spent 25 years in games.

He worked on titles such as Advent Rising. And he was part of the team that started Chair Entertainment in 2005, which went on to make the hit mobile game Infinity Blade. Mustard also worked on titles like Undertow and Shadow Complex. The Infinity Blade series drew the attention of Epic Games, maker of the Unreal game engine, and Epic acquired Chair Entertainment in 2008.

Infinity Blade III

After that, Mustard went on to lead a number of projects at Epic Games, including shepherding Fortnite to its success with a battle royale mode.

Mustard made the announcement yesterday on X (formerly Twitter).

Here’s the full tweet:

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.

X: @DonaldMustard
Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.