Earthblade Canceled Amid Reported Disagreements

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

Internal Disputes Lead to Earthblade's Cancellation

Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind Celeste, announced the unfortunate cancellation of Earthblade on their official website. In a post titled "Final Earthblade Update," Director Maddy Thorson explained the reasons behind the decision.

Thorson revealed a significant internal fracture within the team, specifically involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros. The core issue stemmed from a disagreement concerning the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a conflict Thorson chose not to elaborate on due to its sensitive nature.

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, stating that Medeiros and his team are not considered adversaries.

Medeiros' departure wasn't the sole reason for cancellation, but it highlighted the challenges facing the project. Thorson noted that Earthblade's development hadn't progressed as expected, and the pressure to surpass the success of Celeste contributed to team burnout. The decision to cancel was ultimately made to allow the team to regroup and refocus.

EXOK's Future Endeavors

With key team members moving on, Thorson and Berry plan to concentrate on smaller-scale projects, returning to a more organic development process reminiscent of their work on Celeste and TowerFall. They expressed a desire to collaborate with former team members in the future. The statement concluded on a positive note, emphasizing a return to their creative roots and a renewed focus on enjoyment in the development process.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, featuring Névoa, the child of Fate, exploring a ruined Earth. The cancellation marks a significant setback, but EXOK aims to learn from this experience and move forward with renewed energy.