‘Celeste’ and ‘Towerfall’ Delisted From Xbox as Dev Joins Boycott
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
New coverage highlights that other developers have also backed the BDS boycott of Microsoft, following Maddy Thorson’s decision to remove Celeste and Towerfall: Ascension from Xbox. The moves bring the boycott into focus for Xbox players and reflect developers’ objections to Microsoft’s ties with the Israeli military.
Celeste, released in 2018, remains available on PC, Switch and PlayStation 4; Towerfall is a local multiplayer action game. House House has said its upcoming game Big Walk will stay off Xbox while Microsoft remains a BDS target. Microsoft withdrew the Israeli military’s access to some Azure services after reporting and protests, but remains a target because it supplies other technologies to the Israeli government.
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In short
- Maddy Thorson removed two games from Xbox in support of the BDS boycott.
- House House has also kept Big Walk off Xbox.
- Microsoft remains a target over its ties with Israel’s military.
How this story developed
- 14 minutes ago New coverage highlights that other developers have also backed the BDS boycott of Microsoft, following Maddy Thorson’s decision to remove Celeste and Towerfall: Ascension from Xbox.
- 34 minutes ago New coverage adds that other developers have also taken positions supporting the BDS boycott of Microsoft, after Maddy Thorson’s studio removed Celeste and Towerfall: Ascension from Xbox.
- 2 hours ago Maddy Thorson’s studio has removed Celeste and Towerfall: Ascension from Xbox to support the pro-Palestinian BDS boycott of Microsoft. The decision adds two established games to a growing number of developers taking a public stance over Microsoft’s links with the Israeli military.
- Rock Paper Shotgun Celeste and TowerFall have been removed from the Xbox store in a move to "support the BDS boycott" against Microsoft
- GamesRadar+ Celeste dev delists the legendary platformer from Xbox: "We did this to support the BDS boycott"
- Polygon ‘Celeste’ and ‘Towerfall’ Delisted From Xbox as Dev Joins Boycott
Full account
Maddy Thorson has confirmed that Celeste and TowerFall: Ascension have been removed from sale on the Xbox Store. The games remain available through other digital storefronts, according to the reports. Thorson said the delisting was intended to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement’s call to boycott Microsoft and Xbox.
The move follows House House’s announcement that its forthcoming game Big Walk will not launch on Xbox for now. The studio said the decision could disappoint players hoping to play together, but expressed support for collective action and said it would welcome an Xbox release if Microsoft or Xbox ceased to be a BDS boycott target. The reports also mention Origame Digital’s public criticism of the violence against Palestinians in connection with its game Penguin’s Colony.
BDS describes its campaign as a pressure movement seeking Palestinian self-determination and compliance with international law. The sources say Microsoft is a boycott target because of services it provides to the Israeli military, including cloud and AI capabilities. One report states that Microsoft confirmed providing software used by the military; the outlets present these allegations and the boycott rationale as context for the developers’ decisions.
The delisting removes two established indie games from Xbox buyers, while leaving them on other platforms. Thorson’s action adds to a small but visible set of game-industry responses to the boycott. The reports frame those responses differently: one focuses on the games and the BDS campaign, while the other situates the decision within wider organising and public opposition in the games industry.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report describes Thorson as having led both games’ development at Maddy Makes Games and gives background on their releases and gameplay. The second centres on the store delisting and attributes the confirmation to Thorson, while noting that no broader statement had been issued by other developers or EXOK Games.
The second report names No Games for Genocide and discloses that its writer is an organiser; the first does not mention the group. It also mentions Origame Digital, which the first report omits.
The first report gives a fuller account of BDS’s stated aims and quotes the movement’s rationale for targeting Microsoft. The second gives more detail about the services Microsoft allegedly continues to provide, and says Microsoft confirmed supplying software used by the Israeli military. These are different emphases rather than a reported disagreement about the delisting.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The studio can argue that withdrawing its games is a peaceful way to avoid lending commercial support or legitimacy to a company whose technology it believes is implicated in serious harm. A public boycott can also draw attention to those links and press Microsoft to change its policies, while reflecting the creators’ ethical responsibilities and the values of players who support the campaign.
The case against
Critics can argue that removing games from Xbox mainly limits access for players, including those with few alternatives, while having little direct effect on Microsoft’s conduct. They may also see a broad boycott as insufficiently targeted, particularly since Microsoft has withdrawn some services to the Israeli military, and favour engagement or more specific pressure that could encourage further changes.
Explained simply
Celeste is a 2018 platform game made by a studio led by Maddy Thorson, and TowerFall: Ascension is a local multiplayer action game. The studio has removed both games from Xbox; Celeste remains available on PC, Switch and PlayStation 4.
The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement calls for economic pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. Some game makers are applying that pressure to Microsoft, citing its technology links with the Israeli government and military. Another studio, House House, has said its forthcoming game Big Walk will not be released on Xbox while Microsoft remains a BDS boycott target.
Coverage · 3 sources
- Polygon‘Celeste’ and ‘Towerfall’ Delisted From Xbox as Dev Joins Boycott
- Rock Paper ShotgunCeleste and TowerFall have been removed from the Xbox store in a move to "support the BDS boycott" against Microsoft
- GamesRadar+Celeste dev delists the legendary platformer from Xbox: "We did this to support the BDS boycott"
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