Earthblade Cancelled: Celeste Developers Announce Project Closure
The highly anticipated Earthblade, from the creators of the acclaimed indie game Celeste, has been cancelled. This decision, announced by Extremely OK Games (EXOK), follows significant internal challenges.
Internal Disagreements Lead to Cancellation
In a heartfelt post titled "Final Earthblade Update," EXOK Director Maddy Thorson revealed the difficult decision to cancel the project. Thorson cited a "fracture" within the team, stemming from disagreements regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros. While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to pursue his own project, Neverway. Thorson emphasized that despite the circumstances, Medeiros and the Neverway team are not considered adversaries.
Thorson explained that the team’s struggles extended beyond the departure of Medeiros. The immense success of Celeste created pressure to deliver an even larger and more ambitious game, leading to burnout and a feeling that Earthblade’s development wasn't progressing as expected. The team ultimately decided to halt development, acknowledging the project wasn't as far along as hoped after a prolonged development period.
EXOK's Future Focus: Smaller-Scale Projects
With a significant portion of the team moving on, EXOK plans to refocus on smaller-scale projects. Thorson and Berry intend to return to a more experimental approach to game development, similar to their work on Celeste and TowerFall. They expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members. The announcement concluded on a positive note, emphasizing a return to their creative roots and a renewed focus on enjoying the development process.
Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, following the journey of Névoa, a child of Fate, as they explore a ruined Earth. While the game's cancellation is undoubtedly disappointing for fans, EXOK's commitment to learning from this experience and pursuing smaller, more manageable projects offers a glimmer of hope for the future.
