Acclaimed indie titles Celeste and TowerFall were abruptly removed from the Xbox store, a deliberate move confirmed by lead developer Maddy Thorson in support of the international BDS movement protesting Microsoft's ties to the Israeli government.
The unexpected disappearance of both games from the digital store caught players off guard earlier this week. Addressing the confusion among community members who noticed the titles could no longer be purchased, Maddy Thorson took to the social platform Bluesky to clarify the situation and rule out any technical glitches or licensing oversights. In her statement, the creator plainly confirmed that delisting both projects was an intentional decision taken directly to support the boycott organized by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, which protests corporate involvement in actions against Palestinians.
The Arguments Behind the Microsoft Boycott
The inclusion of Xbox and its parent corporation within BDS boycott targets stems directly from Microsoft's partnerships with the Israeli government and its prison network. According to the organization, the tech giant has provided access to its Azure Cloud infrastructure alongside artificial intelligence systems, which reports indicate have been utilized over recent years during the ongoing subjugation of Palestinians.
In response, the BDS campaign has urged players worldwide to cancel their active Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, boycott major gaming franchises owned by the publisher—such as Call of Duty and Candy Crush—and stop purchasing hardware and software tied to the platform. While Microsoft has previously acknowledged supplying AI capabilities to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, it claimed there was no clear evidence showing those tools were used to harm individuals during operations in Gaza, a stance challenged by several external reports.
A Growing Wave Among Indie Developers
The stance chosen by Maddy Thorson for Celeste and TowerFall mirrors previous decisions by other independent studios. Just weeks prior, Australian studio House House, creators of the upcoming title Big Walk, published an official statement confirming their game will skip Xbox entirely due to the corporation's connections with Israel. The studio stressed that while they would love for audiences to experience their release on the console, they will not launch there until the company is removed from the boycott list, voicing firm belief in collective action.
A similar step was taken back in 2025 by the creator of indie title Tenderfoot Tactics. Following this withdrawal, new sales of Celeste and TowerFall are completely blocked across Xbox, though existing owners keep full access in their libraries. Meanwhile, both acclaimed titles remain normally available for purchase across PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC.