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

The highly anticipated Earthblade, from the creators of Celeste, 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 unfortunate news on their website. Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant disagreement regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste created a rift within the team, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros.

While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to pursue his own project, Neverway. Thorson emphasized that there are no hard feelings, stating that Medeiros and his team are not the antagonists and should not be treated as such within the EXOK community. However, the loss of Medeiros, coupled with the game's slower-than-expected progress and the pressure stemming from Celeste's success, led to the decision to cancel Earthblade.

Thorson acknowledged the exhaustion and admitted that the team had lost its way. The decision, while painful, is seen as a necessary step to allow the team to recover and refocus.

EXOK's Future Endeavors

With a significant portion of the team moving on, Thorson and Berry plan to concentrate on smaller-scale projects, aiming to recapture the creative energy of their earlier work on Celeste and TowerFall. They express hope for future collaborations with former team members. The statement concludes on a positive note, emphasizing their commitment to rediscovering joy in the creative process.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer featuring Névoa, a child of Fate, returning to a ruined Earth to unravel its mysteries.