Celeste Devs Cancel Earthblade Amid 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 the acclaimed Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant internal rift, involving herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros, contributed to the decision. The core issue stemmed from a disagreement over the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a conflict that ultimately led to Medeiros's departure to pursue his own project, Neverway. Thorson emphasized that there are no hard feelings towards Medeiros and his new venture.

However, Medeiros's departure wasn't the sole reason for the cancellation. Thorson also cited the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success, leading to burnout and a feeling that the project wasn't progressing as expected despite its extended development.

Thorson expressed regret and apologized to fans for the cancellation, acknowledging the emotional toll on the team.

EXOK's Future Focus

With a reduced team, EXOK plans to shift its focus to smaller-scale projects, aiming to recapture the creative energy and collaborative spirit that characterized the development of Celeste and TowerFall. They intend to prototype and experiment, prioritizing a more sustainable and enjoyable development process. The team expressed hope for future collaborations with former members.

Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer featuring Névoa, a child of Fate, exploring a ruined Earth. The cancellation marks a significant setback, but EXOK remains committed to future projects.