Maddy Makes Games removes Celeste and TowerFall from Xbox in support of pro-Palestinian BDS boycott

Indie studio Maddy Makes Games has removed its titles Celeste and TowerFall from the Xbox store to back the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The decision was made public through a social media post by Maddy Thorson, the studio's founder. Thorson explained that the removal was done to show support for the BDS boycott.

Maddy Makes Games joins a growing list of developers taking a stance against Microsoft, following revelations that the company's Azure and AI technologies are being utilized by Israel's Ministry of Defence (IMOD) to target civilians or cause harm in the Gaza conflict. While Microsoft maintains that it has no evidence of its technology being used to target or harm people in Gaza, several other developers have followed suit, including Big Walk's House House, which announced it would not release its co-op game on Xbox, citing the same concerns.