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

Earthblade, the highly anticipated project from the creators of Celeste, has been cancelled due to internal team conflicts. This article details the events leading to this difficult decision.

Internal Discord Leads to Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant internal rift, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros, contributed to the decision. A dispute over the intellectual property rights of Celeste was a central point of contention.

While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to work on his own project, Neverway. Thorson stressed that there are no hard feelings, emphasizing that Medeiros and his team are not adversaries.

The loss of Medeiros wasn't the sole reason for cancellation. Thorson also cited the game's slower-than-expected progress and the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success. The team ultimately recognized the need to step back and reassess.

EXOK's Future Focus

With a smaller team, EXOK plans to concentrate on smaller-scale projects, returning to the creative spirit of their earlier works, Celeste and TowerFall. They hope to collaborate with former team members in the future. Thorson concluded with a message of moving forward and finding renewed joy in their creative process.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer featuring Névoa, a child of Fate, exploring a ruined Earth. The cancellation marks a significant setback, but EXOK aims to learn from this experience and embark on new creative endeavors.