Celeste Creators' New Title, Earthblade, Canceled Amidst Discord

The highly anticipated Earthblade, from the creators of Celeste, has been cancelled due to internal team conflicts. This article details the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.

Internal Disputes Lead to Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant disagreement regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste created a fracture within the team, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros.

While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to work on his own project, Neverway. Thorson emphasized that there are no hard feelings, stating that Medeiros and his team are not the enemy. However, the loss of Medeiros, combined with the game's less-than-expected progress after a lengthy development period, and the pressure to surpass the success of Celeste, ultimately led to the cancellation decision.

Thorson acknowledged the exhaustion and admitted that the team had lost its way. The decision to cancel, while heartbreaking, was ultimately seen as a necessary step.

EXOK's Future Focus

With a reduced team, EXOK plans to refocus on smaller-scale projects, returning to a development style reminiscent of their work on Celeste and TowerFall. They hope to collaborate with former team members in the future. The statement concludes 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 featuring Névoa, a child of Fate, returning to a ruined Earth.