Earthblade Cancellation: Celeste Studio Axes 2D Action Game After Nearly 4 Years of Anticipation

Earthblade Cancellation: Extremely OK Games Reflects on the Bittersweet Failure
In a heart-wrenching post, Extremely OK Games – creators of the beloved 2018 platformer Celeste – announced the cancellation of their 2D explor-action project, Earthblade. The studio’s director, Maddy Thorson, took to their website to share the circumstances behind the project’s untimely demise.
A Complicated Road to Cancellation
Earthblade was first unveiled in 2021, offering a glimpse into a side-scrolling platformer blending combat and exploration. Initially, the project was expected to release in 2024. However, a delay was announced in March, with the studio assuring fans that progress was not stagnant and that the team was still excited to work on it.
Confusion and Disagreement
The situation took a turn when the studio hit a snag regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste, which led to a disagreement between Thorson, Berry, and founding member Pedro Medeiros. After a "very difficult and heartbreaking process," the issue was eventually resolved, resulting in Medeiros’ departure from the project.
Re-evaluating the Project’s Viability
The remaining team members re-examined whether continuing to develop Earthblade was the right path forward. Despite the project’s potential, they determined it was not as far along as expected, given the prolonged development process. The pressure to deliver a bigger and better game than Celeste had also contributed to the team’s exhaustion and disillusionment.
A New Beginning for the Studio
In the end, the team decided to cancel Earthblade and focus on smaller-scale projects, allowing them to "refocus ourselves back to smaller-scale projects" and "rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it at Celeste’s or TowerFall’s inception." Thorson and Berry aim to "wipe the slate clean" and take lessons learned from the experience to create new, more joyful game development experiences.
As Thorson concluded, "We are happy to return to our roots and reclaim some joy in our creative process, and see where that takes us."