Celeste and TowerFall removed from Xbox in BDS boycott move

Published 29 October 2026. Maddy Makes Games has removed Celeste and TowerFall: Ascension from Xbox in support of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Microsoft.

Maddy Thorson, who led development on both games, confirmed the decision in a Bluesky post. The move means neither title is currently available through Xbox, although the games were also released on other platforms.

“Yes we delisted Celeste and TowerFall on Xbox. We did this to support the BDS boycott,” Thorson wrote.

Maddy Thorson’s Bluesky profile contains the developer’s public post about the decision.

What happens to Celeste and TowerFall?

Celeste launched in 2018 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The acclaimed 2D platformer is known for its precise movement and demanding mountain-climbing challenge.

TowerFall: Ascension takes a different approach. It is a single-screen multiplayer action game designed around local competition and cooperative play. Both titles were developed under the Maddy Makes Games banner.

For Australian players interested in compact multiplayer experiences, the decision also highlights the continuing value of games that work well in shared spaces. Our bartop arcade range is one option for bringing that style of play into a home or games room.

Other developers have taken similar action

Maddy Thorson is not the first independent developer to link an Xbox release decision with the BDS campaign. House House previously announced that Big Walk would not come to Xbox for the same reason.

The studio acknowledged that keeping the game off Xbox would prevent some groups of friends from playing together and said it understood the disappointment. It also said the decision was made in the hope that coordinated action could influence powerful organisations and contribute to a free Palestine.

House House’s statement about the Xbox release explains the studio’s position in full.

What is the BDS campaign?

BDS is an international campaign calling for boycotts, divestment and sanctions involving Israel. Its structure is modelled in part on international action against apartheid-era South Africa.

The movement’s stated aims include ending Israel’s occupation and colonisation of Arab lands, recognising equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and supporting Palestinian refugees’ right to return as set out in United Nations Resolution 194. Further background is available in this BDS explainer.

Why is Microsoft a BDS target?

The BDS movement identifies Microsoft as a target because of the company’s technology and business relationships with the Israeli government and military. Its campaign material alleges that Microsoft’s Azure cloud and artificial-intelligence services have supported Israeli military operations and surveillance.

Reporting in 2025 found that Azure technology supplied to the Israeli military had been used in surveillance of Palestinians and was connected to bombing operations. Later that year, Microsoft said it had blocked Israel’s access to certain Azure services used for mass monitoring of phone calls in Gaza and the West Bank. The company remains a BDS target because the campaign says it continues to provide other technology to the Israeli government.

The BDS movement’s position on Microsoft and Xbox is outlined on its campaign website. Coverage of Microsoft’s technology relationships is also available from The Guardian.

Other developers have expressed solidarity with the campaign. Origame Digital, the developer of Penguin Colony, placed a statement criticising the games industry’s response to the war in the game’s credits and blocked sales in Israel.

As digital storefronts become an increasingly important part of arcade-style gaming, platform access and developer-led release decisions can affect how players discover and preserve games. For those building a dedicated setup, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide and arcade parts collection cover the practical side of creating a playable games space.