The highly anticipated Earthblade, from the creators of Celeste, has been cancelled due to internal team issues. This article details the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.
Internal Disputes Lead to Earthblade's Cancellation
Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind the indie success Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their official website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained the reasons behind the difficult decision.
Thorson revealed a significant internal fracture within the team, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros. A dispute over the intellectual property rights of Celeste played a central role in this conflict. While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to pursue his own project, Neverway, under a new studio. Thorson emphasized that there are no hard feelings, stating that Medeiros and his team are not the enemy.
The loss of Medeiros, coupled with the game's slower-than-expected progress and the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success, ultimately led to the cancellation. Thorson acknowledged the team's exhaustion and the need to reassess their approach.
EXOK's Future Focus
With a significant portion of their team moving on, Thorson and Berry plan to refocus on smaller-scale projects, aiming to recapture the creative energy of their earlier works like Celeste and TowerFall. They expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members. The statement concluded with a positive outlook, emphasizing their desire to rediscover the joy in game development.
Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, following the journey of Névoa, a child of Fate, through a ruined Earth.
