Earthblade, Indie Game, Postponed Indefinitely

Earthblade Cancellation: A Heartbreaking Update from Extremely OK Games

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the creators of the acclaimed indie title Celeste, have announced the cancellation of their highly anticipated project, Earthblade. This decision, detailed in a recent update on their website, stems from internal team challenges.

EXOK Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant contributing factor was a fracture within the team, involving disagreements regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste. This led to the departure of former Art Director Pedro Medeiros, who is now pursuing his own project, Neverway. While acknowledging the difficult circumstances, Thorson emphasized that Medeiros and his team are not to be considered adversaries.

Thorson also cited the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success as a contributing factor to the challenges faced during Earthblade's development. The project, while promising, was not as far along as anticipated after a prolonged development period. The team ultimately decided that continuing would not be the right path forward.

Looking Ahead: A Return to Roots

With a significant portion of the team moving on, Thorson and remaining programmer Noel Berry plan to refocus on smaller-scale projects, aiming to recapture the creative spirit of their earlier work on Celeste and TowerFall. They expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members.

Earthblade, envisioned as an explor-action platformer featuring the character Névoa, will not see the light of day. However, EXOK remains committed to creating new experiences, prioritizing a more sustainable and joyful creative process.