Celeste Devs Disband Earthblade Project

Earthblade, the highly anticipated sequel from the Celeste creators, 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 the acclaimed Celeste, announced the cancellation of Earthblade on their official website. In a statement, Director Maddy Thorson explained that a significant rift developed within the team, primarily between herself, programmer Noel Berry, and former art director Pedro Medeiros. This conflict centered on disagreements regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste.

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, and she hopes for future collaborations.

The loss of Medeiros, coupled with the game's less-than-expected progress after a prolonged development period, contributed to the decision to cancel Earthblade. Thorson also acknowledged the immense pressure stemming from Celeste's success, impacting the team's creative process and leading to burnout.

EXOK's Future Focus

With a significant portion of their team moving on, 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 a desire to collaborate with former team members in the future.

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 optimistic about the future and their renewed approach to game development.