House House, the studio behind the acclaimed puzzle-adventure game Big Walk, has confirmed that the title will not be released on Xbox Series X/S. In a statement, the developer explained that this decision aligns with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement's call to boycott Microsoft and its gaming division.
Big Walk launched in August for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac. Players have since inquired about an Xbox release, the only major console platform not included in the initial launch. House House stated that it would like players to experience Big Walk on Xbox, but this is contingent on Microsoft and/or Xbox being removed as boycott targets by the BDS movement.
The BDS movement, established in 2005 and inspired by the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, advocates for freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinians. According to its website, BDS aims to pressure Israel to comply with international law, asserting that the country has been noncompliant since 1948. The movement's stated goals include ending Israel's occupation and colonization of Palestinian land, as well as addressing discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel and the denial of return for Palestinian refugees.
Regarding Microsoft and Xbox specifically, the BDS movement designates them as priority boycott targets. On its website, BDS alleges that Microsoft is a significant partner in what it describes as Israel's "illegal occupation, apartheid regime, and ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza." The movement claims Microsoft provides Azure cloud and AI services to the Israeli military, which it states are used to accelerate actions against Palestinians. The BDS movement also calls for a boycott of various Microsoft gaming products, including Xbox Game Pass, Candy Crush, Minecraft, Call of Duty, and all Microsoft Gaming products and published titles.
House House concluded its statement by expressing a belief in the power of coordinated collective action for meaningful change, stating, "one day, Palestine will be free."
Big Walk achieved significant commercial success, selling one million copies in less than a week following its release.