Indie games Celeste and TowerFall have been removed from the Xbox store, a move confirmed by Celeste co-creator Maddy Thorson as a gesture of support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Microsoft. The delisting comes as a protest against Microsoft's alleged provision of support to the Israeli military.
Thorson announced the decision via a social media post, stating, "For those who’re asking, yes we delisted Celeste and TowerFall on XBox. We did this to support the BDS boycott." This action follows a similar announcement from indie developer House House, whose upcoming game Big Walk will not be released on Xbox in support of the same boycott. Developer Origame Digital also publicly denounced the ongoing situation in Gaza, with their game Penguin's Colony banning sales in Israel.
The BDS movement has called for a boycott of Microsoft and Xbox products, citing the company's provision of AI software to the Israeli military, which they claim has been used to target Palestinian civilians. Microsoft has confirmed supplying AI technology for use in Gaza. According to the BDS Movement website, Microsoft remains on their boycott list for continuing to offer services to the Israeli military, including email and file management systems, and for involvement in "combat and intelligence activities."
These developers' actions align with growing industry pushback against Microsoft's alleged military ties, exemplified by initiatives like "No Games for Genocide," an organization comprised of game developers and industry professionals. The removal of Celeste and TowerFall from the Xbox store highlights a growing trend of developers using their platforms to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.