The popular PC and PlayStation 5 title Big Walk will not be released on Xbox Series X|S platforms, developer House House announced, citing the game's status as a response to the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The developer stated that its decision stems from Microsoft's ongoing contracts with the Israeli government and military, which have made the company a target for the BDS initiative.
House House acknowledged that this decision will prevent some players from enjoying the game with friends and expressed disappointment. "We would love for people to be able to play the game on Xbox, but not until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets," the developer said in a statement. The studio added that it believes "meaningful change can be made in the world, that coordinated collective action can confront even the most powerful interests, and that one day, Palestine will be free."
The Palestinian BDS movement has publicly endorsed House House's decision, encouraging gamers, developers, journalists, and workers to sign the "No Games for Genocide" pledge and continue boycotting Xbox. This pressure on Microsoft has reportedly led to some concessions, including the company blocking the Israeli government's access to its cloud storage and AI systems last year, which have been used to surveil Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Addressing potential questions about the game's availability on Windows PCs, House House clarified that purchasing Big Walk through platforms like Steam does not result in Microsoft directly benefiting from sales, unlike its Xbox marketplace.