Celeste Devs' Earthblade Axed Amidst 'Disagreements'

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

Internal Discord Leads 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 internal rift, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros, ultimately led to the decision. The core of the conflict stemmed from a disagreement over the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a detail Thorson chose not to elaborate on.

While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to work on his own game, Neverway. Thorson emphasized that despite the circumstances, there are no hard feelings, and any negativity towards Medeiros or his team is unwelcome within the EXOK community.

The loss of Medeiros, coupled with the realization that Earthblade's development was significantly behind schedule despite its lengthy production, played a crucial role in the cancellation. Thorson also acknowledged the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success, contributing to the team's exhaustion and ultimately leading to the decision to cancel the project.

EXOK's Future Focus

With a reduced team, EXOK plans to refocus 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, centered around Névoa, a child of Fate, returning to a devastated Earth. The cancellation marks a significant setback, but EXOK remains optimistic about the future.