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

Earthblade, the highly anticipated game from the developers of the indie sensation Celeste, has been officially cancelled due to internal conflicts within the team. This news marks a significant moment for fans who have been eagerly awaiting the release of this next big title from Extremely OK Games (EXOK).

Developers Cite Internal "Fracture"

In a heartfelt announcement on their official website, titled the Final Earthblade Update, EXOK Director Maddy Thorson shared the difficult decision to cancel the project. Thorson expressed her apologies to fans and conveyed the team's ongoing process of grieving over the project's termination.

Thorson explained that the cancellation stemmed from a "fracture" within the team, particularly involving herself, EXOK Computer Programmer Noel Berry, and former Art Director Pedro Medeiros. The core of the conflict centered around a "disagreement about the IP rights of Celeste," though Thorson chose not to delve deeper into the issue due to its sensitivity.

Although a resolution was reached, it led to Medeiros parting ways with EXOK to work on his own game, Neverway, under a new studio. Despite this, Thorson emphasized that there is no animosity and urged the community to treat Medeiros and his new team with respect.

Thorson further explained that the departure of Medeiros was not the sole reason for cancelling Earthblade. The project, while promising, was not as advanced as expected after a long development period. Additionally, the immense success of Celeste placed considerable pressure on the team to exceed their previous achievements, contributing to the exhaustion and loss of direction.

EXOK’s Future Plans

With a significant portion of their team moving on, Thorson and Berry are now focusing on learning from this experience and shifting towards smaller-scale projects. They are currently in the prototyping phase, experimenting at a comfortable pace to recapture the joy of game development reminiscent of their early days with Celeste and TowerFall.

Thorson remains optimistic about future collaborations with former team members and concludes on a hopeful note, emphasizing the importance of returning to their roots and finding joy in the creative process once again.

Earthblade was envisioned as an "explor-action platformer" that would follow the journey of Névoa, the enigmatic child of Fate, as she returns to a ruined Earth to piece together its remnants.