Earthblade, the follow-up to 2018 2D platformer Celeste, has been canceled, developer Extraordinarily OK Video games introduced in a weblog publish on Wednesday.
“We made this choice in December and felt it finest to attend till now to announce it,” the developer wrote. “For us on the within we’ve had a while to course of, grieve, and work towards accepting this, though that course of is nonlinear and nonetheless ongoing.”
The publish particulars a “disagreement in regards to the IP rights of Celeste” final 12 months between former artwork director Pedro Medeiros and present Extraordinarily OK Video games members Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry. The three of them “ultimately reached a decision, however each events additionally agreed in the long run that we must always go our separate methods.” Medeiros left the workforce in November and is at the moment engaged on their very own sport, Neverway.
Extraordinarily OK Video games says the disagreement wasn’t the only cause for the sport’s cancellation, however that it prompted the corporate to “take a critical take a look at whether or not preventing by way of to complete Earthblade was the correct path ahead.” Regardless that it was introduced in 2019, the workforce mentioned it was “not as far alongside as one would anticipate after such a protracted improvement course of.”
Earthblade was meant to be one other 2D platformer within the model of Celeste, borrowing its pastel pixel artwork model and Metroidvania exploration components. The sport would’ve adopted most important character Névoa as they explored a ruined Earth with a soundtrack composed by Lena Raine, who beforehand did the music for Celeste. The primary footage of the sport was proven on the 2024 Recreation Awards and showcased its intricate 2D ranges and gloomy tone.
“Celeste’s success utilized stress on us to ship one thing greater and higher with Earthblade, and that stress is a big a part of why engaged on it has turn into so exhausting,” it wrote. “Pedro isn’t guilty for this — the truth is the cut up with him has given us the readability to see that we’ve got misplaced our means, and the chance to confess defeat. I really feel some ways about it, however one huge feeling is undoubtedly reduction.”
Different members of the workforce determined to go away final 12 months as nicely, leaving Thorson and Berry because the remaining workers of Extraordinarily OK Video games. The developer mentioned it needs to “wipe the slate clear” and refocus on “smaller-scale initiatives.” “We’re prototyping once more and exploring at our personal tempo, and making an attempt to rediscover sport improvement in a way nearer to how we approached it at Celeste’s or TowerFall’s inception.”
