Celeste and TowerFall have both been delisted from Xbox suddenly earlier this week. Per a post on Bluesky, developer Maddy Thorson says this was an intentional move, with the games being removed from sale on Xbox in support of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, which is aimed at protesting various companies linked to, or supporting, Israel’s government during the genocide in Palestine.
“For those who’re asking, yes we delisted Celeste and TowerFall on Xbox,” states Thorson in a BlueSky post. “We did this to support the BDS boycott.”
In case you’re unaware, Xbox’s inclusion on the BDS list is due to Microsoft’s partnership with Israel and its prison system, according to BDS itself. The company has provided the country use of its Azure Cloud and AI systems, which have been used consistently over the past few years in the ongoing subjugation of Palestinians. BDS has urged people to cancel their Game Pass subscriptions, boycott leading Xbox franchises – including Call of Duty and Candy Crush – and cease purchases of Microsoft gaming products. As it stands, Celeste and TowerFall are now completely unavailable for purchase within the Xbox ecosystem.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen developers intentionally opt out of sales on Xbox because of the BDS movement; just a few weeks ago, Big Walk developer House House released a statement noting that its game is not on Xbox because of Microsoft’s ties to Israel, and we saw the developer of Tenderfoot Tactics do the same in 2025.
“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,” noted the Australian developer at the time. “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 responded to the BDS boycott previously, acknowledging that it supplied AI technology to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, but claims “no evidence” it’s been used to “target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza”. Various reports, including the one linked above, refute this claim.
Celeste and TowerFall both remain available for purchase on PlayStation, PC, and Switch.
