Celeste Xbox delisting: developer explains shock removal

Developer explains why two games have vanished from Xbox

Players recently discovered that Celeste and TowerFall were no longer listed for purchase on Xbox. 

Their disappearance prompted questions about whether the removals were accidental, but developer Maddy Thorson later confirmed that both titles had been deliberately withdrawn.

Thorson announced the move on Bluesky, writing: "For those who're asking, yes we delisted Celeste and TowerFall on Xbox. We did this to support the BDS boycott."

The games have not been removed from other platforms. Both are still available through Steam, Nintendo and PlayStation, with the decision specifically affecting their Xbox releases.

The action is part of a wider campaign organised by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which has encouraged consumers to cancel Xbox Game Pass and avoid buying titles from franchises such as Call of Duty. 

Microsoft has been named as a boycott target because of its business ties with Israel, including contracts with the country's prison system.

BDS has also raised concerns about Microsoft's provision of Azure cloud services and artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military during the war in Gaza.

Xbox boycott expands as studios call for action over Gaza war

Thorson's decision follows similar moves by other independent developers. The Australian studio House House, which is behind Big Walk, has declined to put its game on Xbox, while the developers of Tenderfoot Tactics took the same approach in 2025.

House House has said it would like Xbox owners to be able to play Big Walk, but has made Microsoft's removal from the BDS boycott list a condition for releasing the game on the platform.

"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 studio said.

The developer also explained that it believed collective action could challenge even the most powerful organisations and contribute to meaningful change. 

It ended its statement by saying: "We've made this decision with the belief that 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."

Microsoft has faced criticism over other aspects of its gaming business in recent months, too. 

Earlier this year, the company joined Sony and Nintendo in confirming that customers would not receive tariff refunds following a separate dispute over import costs.