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

Earthblade, the highly anticipated project from the Celeste creators, has been cancelled due to internal team conflicts. This article details the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate decision.

Internal Discord Leads to Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind the acclaimed Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. In a statement, EXOK Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant internal rift, primarily involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros, contributed to the decision. The core of the conflict stemmed from a disagreement over the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a matter Thorson chose not to elaborate on publicly.

While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros' departure to pursue his own project, Neverway, under a new studio. Thorson emphasized that despite the disagreements, there are no hard feelings, and any negativity towards Medeiros and his team is unwelcome within the EXOK community.

The loss of Medeiros wasn't the sole reason for cancellation, but it highlighted underlying issues. Thorson acknowledged that Earthblade's development was significantly behind schedule, and the pressure of following up on Celeste's success proved overwhelming. The team ultimately recognized the need to step back and reassess their approach.

EXOK's Future Focus

With key team members moving on, Thorson and Berry intend to refocus on smaller-scale projects, prioritizing a more sustainable and enjoyable development process. They are currently prototyping and experimenting, aiming to recapture the creative energy of their earlier works like Celeste and TowerFall. They also expressed a desire to collaborate with former team members in the future. Thorson concluded the announcement on a positive note, emphasizing the team's commitment to learning from this experience and moving forward.

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 remains committed to future projects.