The highly anticipated Earthblade, the follow-up game from the creators of the critically acclaimed Celeste, has been officially canceled. This announcement marks a significant shift in direction for Extremely OK Games, the development studio behind both titles. The cancellation, revealed in a detailed blog post by Maddy Thorson, one of the studio’s founders, stems from a confluence of factors, including internal conflicts and the immense pressure of trying to replicate the success of their previous hit.
Earthblade, first unveiled with a captivating trailer in late 2022, promised a captivating fantasy world with a free-roaming, dynamically loading map, a significant departure from the tightly designed levels of Celeste. This ambitious scope, coupled with the weight of expectation following Celeste’s success, contributed to a challenging development process. Thorson describes the journey as “exhausting” and admits that the team “lost their way” amidst the pressure to deliver something even bigger and better than their previous work.
A key factor contributing to the cancellation was a disagreement within the core development team, specifically between Thorson, Noel Berry, and Pedro Medeiros, regarding the intellectual property rights of Celeste. While the conflict ultimately reached a resolution, it also led to Medeiros parting ways with Extremely OK Games. Thorson acknowledges that while Medeiros’s departure wasn’t the sole reason for canceling Earthblade, it served as a catalyst for the team to critically reassess the project’s trajectory and acknowledge the mounting challenges they faced. Medeiros is currently working on a new game titled Neverway, embarking on a separate creative path.
The immense success of Celeste cast a long shadow over the development of Earthblade. The game’s widespread acclaim and dedicated fanbase created an environment of heightened expectation, adding pressure on the team to deliver a successor that would not only meet but surpass the original. This pressure, Thorson explains, became a significant burden, contributing to the exhaustion and the eventual realization that the project was no longer on a sustainable path.
The cancellation of Earthblade represents a conscious decision by Thorson and Berry to prioritize their well-being and creative process. They express a desire to return to smaller-scale projects, echoing the spirit of their earlier works like Celeste and TowerFall. This refocus allows them to rediscover the joy of game development without the weight of external expectations and internal pressures that plagued the Earthblade project.
The team has already commenced prototyping new ideas, experimenting with different concepts and mechanics in a more relaxed and exploratory environment. This approach harks back to the early days of Celeste and TowerFall’s development, where creativity and innovation flourished without the constraints of a large-scale production. By returning to their roots, Thorson and Berry hope to reignite their passion for game development and create experiences that resonate with players on a more personal level. While the cancellation of Earthblade is undoubtedly disappointing for fans eagerly anticipating their next release, it also represents a necessary step for Extremely OK Games to regroup, recalibrate, and ultimately deliver future projects that reflect their true creative vision. This shift in focus allows them to prioritize smaller, more manageable projects, free from the weight of expectation and internal pressures, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and fulfilling creative process.
