Earthblade, a Game by Celeste Devs, Cancelled Due to "Disagreements"

Earthblade, the highly anticipated game from the creators of the indie sensation Celeste, has been officially cancelled due to internal conflicts within the development team. Dive into the details of what led to this unfortunate decision.

Earthblade Is Officially Cancelled

Developers Cite Internal "Fracture"

The team behind the beloved indie game Celeste, Extremely OK Games (EXOK), has announced the cancellation of their next project, Earthblade. The news was shared through a poignant update on their official website, titled the Final Earthblade Update. EXOK Director Maddy Thorson provided a heartfelt explanation of the circumstances leading to this decision and outlined the studio's future plans.

In the announcement, Thorson revealed, "Late last month, Noel and I made the difficult decision to cancel Earthblade. Yes, we are opening the year with a huge, heartbreaking, and yet relieving failure." She expressed deep regret to the fans who had been eagerly awaiting the game's release and admitted that the team was still grappling with the emotional aftermath.

The core issue, according to Thorson, was a "fracture [that] began forming in the team," particularly between herself, EXOK Computer Programmer Noel Berry, and former Art Director Pedro Medeiros. The conflict centered around a "disagreement about the IP rights of Celeste," though Thorson chose not to delve deeper into this sensitive topic, describing it as "obviously a very difficult and heartbreaking process."

Despite reaching a resolution, the fallout led to Medeiros parting ways with EXOK to pursue his own project, Neverway, under a new studio. Thorson made it clear that there are no hard feelings, stating, "Pedro and the Neverway team aren't the enemy and anyone who treats them as such isn't welcome in any EXOK community."

Thorson further explained that while Medeiros' departure was not the sole reason for cancelling Earthblade, it prompted a critical reassessment of the project's viability. "The project had a lot going for it but, frustratingly, it was also not as far along as one would expect after such a protracted development process," she noted. The immense success of Celeste had placed significant pressure on the team to surpass their previous achievements, which contributed to the exhaustion and loss of direction. Thorson concluded that it was time to admit defeat and move on.

EXOK’s Future Plans

With a significant portion of their team having moved on, Thorson and Berry are now looking to the future with a focus on smaller-scale projects. They are currently in the prototyping phase, experimenting at a comfortable pace, "trying to rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it at Celeste's or TowerFall's inception." Thorson expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members and ended on an optimistic note: "We gave it all we've got, and life goes on. We are happy to return to our roots and reclaim some joy in our creative process, and see where that takes us."

Earthblade was envisioned as an "explor-action platformer" that would follow the journey of Névoa, the enigmatic child of Fate, as they attempt to restore a ruined Earth. While the game will not see the light of day, the legacy of Celeste and the spirit of innovation at EXOK continue to inspire the gaming community.