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 Discord Leads to Cancellation
Extremely OK Games (EXOK), the studio behind the indie success Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained the reasons behind this difficult 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 over the intellectual property rights of Celeste, a complex and emotionally challenging situation.
While a resolution was reached, it resulted in Medeiros departing to pursue his own project, Neverway, under a new studio. Thorson emphasized that despite the conflict, there are no hard feelings, and that Medeiros and his team should not be viewed negatively by the EXOK community.
Medeiros' departure, while not the sole reason, prompted a critical evaluation of the project's viability. Thorson noted that Earthblade's development was not as advanced 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 recover and refocus.
EXOK's Future Endeavors
With a significant portion of the team moving on, Thorson and Berry plan to shift their focus to smaller-scale projects. They intend to return to a more organic development process, similar to their work on Celeste and TowerFall. They also expressed hope for future collaborations with former team members.
Earthblade was envisioned as an explor-action platformer, following the journey of Névoa, a child of Fate, as they navigate a ruined Earth. While its cancellation is disappointing, EXOK aims to learn from this experience and move forward with renewed creativity and a focus on sustainable development practices.
