Developer Maddy Thorson has delisted the acclaimed platformers Celeste and Towerfall from the Xbox Store in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, GameQuarter reported. The sudden removal means players searching for the titles on Microsoft’s console can no longer purchase them digitally, though both games remain available on competing platforms.
Microsoft Targets and Military Ties Cited by Boycott Organizers
The BDS movement targets Microsoft due to the tech giant’s longstanding business relationships with the Israeli government and military. According to the BDS website, Microsoft is described as a deeply complicit tech provider supplying Azure cloud and artificial intelligence services that support military operations in Gaza. The campaign asserts that the company has maintained military supply ties for 34 years. Reporting from The Guardian in 2025 revealed that Microsoft’s Azure technology had been utilized for mass surveillance operations tracking millions of Palestinian phone calls, prompting the company to eventually rescind access to that specific monitoring infrastructure following widespread public blowback and protests.
Developer Maddy Thorson Joins Growing Industry Boycott
Maddy Thorson confirmed the removal of Celeste and Towerfall through a post on Bluesky, aligning with other independent game creators stepping back from the Xbox ecosystem. Studio House House previously announced that its upcoming cooperative title, Big Walk, would bypass the platform entirely over similar objections to Microsoft’s military contracts. The studio acknowledged that keeping the game off the console would disappoint players who planned to play with friends, stating that coordinated collective action remains necessary to challenge powerful interests. Additional indie projects have similarly voiced opposition, including Origame Digital’s Penguin Colony, which features critical text addressing the games industry’s stance within its credits.
Platform Availability Following the Xbox Delisting
While Xbox users currently face restrictions, the affected titles maintain active distribution elsewhere. Celeste, originally launched in 2018 as a critically lauded 2D platformer, and Towerfall: Ascension, a local multiplayer action game, are still obtainable through the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and personal computer storefronts.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Xbox Game Removals
Can players who already purchased Celeste on Xbox still download it?
Neither the provided source material nor studio statements explicitly clarify the status of existing digital libraries for users who bought the games prior to the delisting action.
When did the BDS movement originate?
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement was established in 2005, gaining significantly broader international participation following escalations in the conflict sparked by the October 6, 2023, attacks that killed 1,500 Israeli citizens.
Which other game studios have joined the boycott against Microsoft?
Studio House House withheld its upcoming title Big Walk from Xbox over military ties, while developer Origame Digital included critical messaging regarding industry compliance within the credits of Penguin Colony.
Are Celeste and Towerfall permanently gone from all consoles?
No, developer Maddy Thorson removed the titles exclusively from the Xbox Store, leaving versions for the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC entirely unaffected by the boycott.
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