In the world of video games, incidents are not something foreign, and from time to time projects that have been in development for years do not end up taking shape, so they are canceled before continuing to generate losses for the developing studios. This is the recent case of Extremely OK Games, the creators of Celeste, who out of nowhere revealed that their next big title is not going to see the light of day, which will surprise fans of the company.
This week the cancellation of the long-awaited Earthblade project, described as a “2D action and exploration” game, was announced. The decision was called a “huge, heartbreaking, yet relieving failure” by studio head Maddy Thorson.
Announced in 2021 with concept trailers and a look at its soundtrack, this game promised a platforming experience with elements of combat and exploration. However, several factors complicated its development, including an internal disagreement over Celeste’s intellectual property rights. This conflict led to the departure of founding member Pedro Medeiros after a difficult process that, according to Thorson, helped the team reassess whether they should continue with the project.
Despite the progress made, Earthblade was not as developed as expected after years of work. Thorson and Noel Berry, co-founders of the company, noted that the pressure to surpass the success of their previous game made the process a grueling experience. Although the title had potential, the team decided to abandon the idea and prioritize their creative well-being.
Following the cancellation, several members have moved on with other projects, while Thorson and Berry have chosen to return to their roots and focus on smaller-scale games, similar to the approaches they had with Celeste and TowerFall. They are now in the prototyping stage, looking to regain their passion for development and exploring new ideas at their own pace.
That means, it will be several years before we see a new game from him.
Via: Eurogamer