Extremely OK Games cancels Earthblade

Extremely OK Games has announced the cancellation of Earthblade.

In a blog post, EXOK director of R&D Maddy Thorson explained that a "fracture" formed within the team in early 2024 around the IP rights to Celeste.

As a result, art director Pedro Medeiros left the developer in November which encouraged Thorson and EXOK computer programmer Noel Berry to consider the future of Earthblade.

"Losing Pedro wasn't the only factor in cancelling the game, but it did prompt us to take a serious look at whether fighting through to finish Earthblade was the right path forward," Thorson wrote. "The project had a lot going for it but, frustratingly, it was also not as far along as one would expect after such a protracted development process."

Thorson cited the day-to-day development of Earthblade and the pressure of Celeste's success as major issues, leading to work on the project becoming "exhausting" for the team.

"The split with [Medeiros] has given us the clarity to see that we have lost our way, and the opportunity to admit defeat," she added. "I feel many ways about it, but one big feeling is undoubtedly relief."

Thorson also clarified that the cancellation of Earthblade was entirely the decision of herself and Berry.

"Because this is the internet, I want to be unequivocal here that the decision and responsibility for cancelling Earthblade rests entirely on me and Noel," she said.

"If you were excited about Earthblade and angry about its cancelling, Pedro and the Neverway team aren't the enemy and anyone who treats them as such isn't welcome in any EXOK games community."

Other members of the EXOK team left over the past year, leaving Thorson and Berry as the only employees at the developer.

As a result, Thorson said they are taking the lessons they have learned to "wipe the slate clean and refocus on smaller-scale projects."

"We're prototyping again and exploring at our own pace, and trying to rediscover game development in a manner closer to how we approached it at Celeste's or TowerFall's inception," Thorson concluded.