Rare, the video game development studio that co-creators Tim and Chris Stamper would form in 1985 has a massive and rich history of releases. 40 years later, the studio is now celebrating its four decades of games with a fresh range of collectibles, deals, and in-game gifts for players. As expected, Rare"s live-service hit Sea of Thieves is having its own range of 40th "Ruby" Anniversary celebrations too.
"Celebrations begin today, August 4, the official anniversary date, with the unveiling of a heritage plaque at the site of Ultimate’s first home in Ashby-de-la-Zouch," explains Adam Park, the Head of Brand and Licensing at Rare, in a blog post. "For those not within striking distance of the English Midlands, however, there are new gamerpics and an Xbox dynamic background (above) starring a who’s-who of Rare characters old and new."
To start off the new merchandise lines, Fangamer has released a new collection of retro-inspired designs featuring Blast Corps, Banjo, Jiggy pieces, Jet Force Gemini, and more. All these can be found on shirts, hoodies, pin packs, and more in the Rare Collections section of the Fangamer store.
For those wanting some peripherals to mark the occasion, the 8BitDo Ultimate 3-mode Controller now has a brand-new Rare 40th Anniversary Edition. The blue and gold wireless controller, with its matching charging dock, is compatible with Xbox consoles, Windows and macOS machines, and mobile devices.
Collectibles don"t stop there, as Rare has partnered with iam8bit for a themed vinyl collection that will be opening up pre-orders soon. Next, twelve classic Rare games are being released as retro-inspired cartridges straight from Evercade. It looks like these store pages are not live just yet at the time of writing.
As for Sea of Thieves in-game celebrations, a Pirate Emporium sale with discounts for items featuring Rare-inspired designs is kicking off on August 6. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to claim an exclusive Rare Ruby Emote starting tomorrow, August 5.
More Ruby-themed goodies will be available for claiming via Microsoft Rewards points, cosmetic bundles, login bonuses, in-game shops, the next season pass, Twitch Drops, community weekend events, and more. Even a new Spotify release for an updated version of Rare"s All-Stars EP recordings is slated to launch on August 15.