Celeste Devs' Earthblade Shelved Amidst Disagreements

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

Internal Discord Leads to Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained the reasons behind the cancellation, citing a significant internal fracture within the team.

The core issue stemmed from disagreements regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste, involving Thorson, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros. 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 conflict, there are no hard feelings, and urged the community to avoid negativity towards Medeiros and his new venture.

The loss of Medeiros wasn't the sole factor, but it highlighted underlying problems. Thorson acknowledged that the project's development was significantly behind schedule, and the pressure of following up on Celeste's massive success contributed to team burnout. The decision to cancel was ultimately made to prevent further exhaustion and to allow the team to regroup.

EXOK's Future Direction

With a reduced team, EXOK plans to focus 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. Thorson expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, following the journey of Névoa, a child of Fate, across a ruined Earth. While its cancellation is disappointing, EXOK's commitment to a healthier development approach offers a glimmer of hope for future projects.