Celeste Creator Extremely OK Shuts Down Earthblade Due to Team Discord and Development Challenges
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Image by way of Extremely OK Games.
Celeste developer Extremely OK Games (EXOK) has terminated the development of its upcoming title, Earthblade. Founder Maddy Thorson explained that she and co-founder Noel Berry decided to abandon the game in December after the team began to “fracture.”
According to Thorson, a conflict arose between her and Berry (referred to in the statement as “us”) and fellow EXOK co-founder Pedro Medeiros regarding Celeste’s IP rights. After resolving that issue, “both parties ultimately agreed that we should separate ways.”
Medeiros’ exit wasn’t the decisive factor in Earthblade’s cancellation, but it prompted Thorson and Berry to consider “whether persevering to completion was the right move forward.”
Earthblade was revealed in 2021. EXOK confirmed that development “was not as advanced as one might anticipate” despite production commencing in 2019. T
Thorson asserted the project “had a lot of potential,” but believed the struggle to push through development to reach that point was not worth it–possibly indicating a “deeper issue.”
Much of what made development so overwhelming stemmed from Celeste’s success and the pressure “to deliver something larger and superior,” Thorson continued. She remarked that the conflict with Medeiros “provided us with the clarity to recognize that we had lost our direction, and the chance to acknowledge defeat. I feel many emotions about it, but one prevailing feeling is definitely relief.”
Extremely OK will likely be fine in the end
According to Thorson, several EXOK team members have “moved on” following Earthblade’s cancellation. The current team has shifted focus to smaller-scale projects in order to “rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it during Celeste’s or TowerFall’s beginnings.” While she regards building up the team post-Celeste as a “failure,” she and Berry have found peace with it.
“We are excited to return to our roots and reclaim some joy in our creative process, and see where that leads us,” she concluded.
Thorson’s comprehensive explanation for terminating Earthblade and the studio’s conflict can also be read here.
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Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has contributed to a variety of websites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can also be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s had, as the answer will likely be more than he’s willing to acknowledge.
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