Earth Blade It was supposed to be the next game. From the creator of the 2D pixel art action hit tower fall and celeste. But on Wednesday, designer Maddy Thorson announced that the project was quietly canceled last month after disagreements among some team members and the realization that the game’s long-term development had become a real challenge.
“There has been time within us to process this, to grieve, and to work to come to terms with it, but the process is non-linear and still ongoing,” Thorson wrote. “I apologize for disappointing anyone reading this who is emotionally invested in this project.”
Earth Blade Announced by Indie Team A very OK game returning in 2021 And the trailer for The Game Awards 2022 revealed the first gameplay. It was originally scheduled for release as early as 2023, but development did not progress as quickly as the team had hoped. The planned 2024 launch was also eventually postponed.
In today’s cancellation announcement, Thorson wrote about a dispute over IP rights with pixel artist Pedro Medeiros, whose visual style defined the aesthetic of the upcoming project. celesteA beloved 2018 GOTY contender. “In the end, we reached an agreement, but ultimately both sides agreed to go their separate ways.” Earth BladeWritten by the director of “Pedro is working on his game now. NeverwayBe sure to check it out. We’ve played it and it’s very promising.”
Thorson continued to pull back the curtain on the difficult development of his latest project. “celeste‘s success put pressure on us to deliver bigger and better things. Earth BladeAnd that pressure is a big part of why the work is so exhausting,” Thorson wrote. “Pedro is not responsible for this. In fact, breaking up with him clearly showed us that we were lost and gave us the opportunity to admit defeat. “There are many different feelings, but one of the biggest feelings is undoubtedly relief.”
Currently with Thorson celeste Co-creator Noel Berry went back to prototyping new potential projects while the rest of the team continued to move forward. dream Earth Blade It may be dead, but the spirit behind it didn’t end with making games.
.
