Donald Mustard – the man behind Fortnite and outgoing chief creative officer at Epic Games – is retiring after 25 years in the industry.

Mustard joined Epic back in 2008 after the studio he co-founded, Chair Entertainment, was acquired by Epic Games, and has since moved up through the ranks until he assumed the role of CCO in 2016, a year before Epic released the genre-defining Fortnite. 

"After an incredible adventure, I will be retiring from my role as Chief Creative Officer at Epic this month," Mustard announced via a heartfelt statement posted to social media. 

"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." 

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Mustard continued to say that he is "especially proud" of helping "create and shape Fortnite," and says he's 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!" Mustard added. "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 [Epic boss] Tim Sweeney and the Epic Games family."

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 is well underway and won't be ending for a little while yet. It added new Heist locations where players can pick up Mythic weapons and a host of new weapons and Reality Augments to get their hands on, not to mention a beefy fish skin. 

With Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 so early in its run, not much is known about Season 5. Thankfully, the battle royale title always lists when the current season will end, so we know roughly when we'll be playing the next season at least.

Desperate to know more? Here's everything you need to know about when Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 ends, when Season 5 starts, and what to expect. As we draw closer to the new season's launch, we'll keep you updated with exact timings.

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