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

Earthblade, the highly anticipated game from the Celeste developers, has been cancelled due to internal team conflicts. This article details the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.

Internal Disputes Lead to Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant internal rift, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros, contributed to the decision. The core issue stemmed from a disagreement over the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a conflict that ultimately led to Medeiros's departure and the formation of his own studio, developing a game titled Neverway. While the disagreement has been resolved, the resulting impact on the team's dynamics proved insurmountable. Thorson stressed that there are no hard feelings towards Medeiros and his new team.

Beyond the personnel changes, Thorson also cited the pressure of following up the immense success of Celeste, and the fact that Earthblade's development was further behind schedule than anticipated. The cumulative effect led to burnout and the ultimate decision to cancel the project.

EXOK's Future Focus

With the departure of key team members, EXOK will now focus on smaller-scale projects, returning to a more organic development process reminiscent of their work on Celeste and TowerFall. They aim to rediscover the joy in game development and expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, following the journey of Névoa, a child of Fate, on a ruined Earth. While the cancellation is undoubtedly disappointing, EXOK's commitment to refocusing and rebuilding suggests a potential for future creative success.