Extremely OK Games Cancels Earthblade Project Amid Creative Conflict

The announcement about the status of Earthblade has left many fans surprised and disappointed. It's been nearly four years since Extremely OK Games, known for their work on TowerFall and Celeste, introduced the project. Initially revealed alongside excitement, the game experienced a delay to 2025 about ten months ago, but updates fell silent after that. Clarifying the situation, the studio confirmed that Earthblade will not be continuing, and the reasons behind this decision shed light on the inner workings of the studio.

Extremely OK Games released a statement indicating that the cancellation was not due to financial constraints. Instead, the studio addressed a conflict over the intellectual property rights associated with Celeste, which arose between Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry, the studio’s director and co-founder, respectively, and Pedro Medeiros, who served as the art director and contributed greatly to the pixel art style of both Celeste and TowerFall. This disagreement led to Medeiros's departure from the team.

The remaining team members were left to reflect on the direction and viability of Earthblade. Doubts surfaced regarding whether the prolonged and intense development process would justify the effort involved. Ultimately, they determined that it would be preferable to call off the project and take the opportunity to reevaluate their focus.

This decision opens a pathway for Extremely OK Games to return to their roots by pursuing smaller-scale projects. Fans can remain hopeful about future releases from the studio, as their intent to create more manageable games may lead to new and exciting developments sooner rather than later.