Celeste and TowerFall Delisted From Xbox Store as Developer Joins BDS Boycott

Celeste and TowerFall Ascension are no longer for sale on the Xbox Store, and it wasn't a licensing glitch. Co-creator Maddy Thorson confirmed on Bluesky that the games were pulled on purpose, per Pure Xbox: "For those who're asking, yes we delisted Celeste and TowerFall on XBox. We did this to support the BDS boycott."

Both games remain available on PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC storefronts. Pure Xbox reported that it doesn't appear to be a hard delisting, so players who already own them on Xbox should still see them in their libraries.

The details

• Delisted: Celeste and TowerFall Ascension, Xbox Store
• Confirmed: October 29, 2026, by Maddy Thorson on Bluesky
• Still available: PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC (outside Microsoft's store)
• Existing Xbox owners: games should remain in libraries
• Microsoft response: none reported

Why were the games removed?

BDS, a Palestinian-led boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, lists Microsoft as a boycott target over what it calls "their complicity in Israel's occupation, apartheid and genocide against Palestinians," per GamesRadar. The campaign asks supporters to avoid Microsoft products, including Xbox games, Game Pass, and Xbox hardware.

Microsoft has provided cloud and AI services to the Israeli military. According to reporting by The Guardian cited by GamesRadar, the company cut off one Israeli intelligence agency after an inquiry into a mass surveillance campaign targeting Palestinians. BDS called that a win but says Microsoft still provides other technology support to Israel. No Microsoft comment on the delisting has been reported.

Have other developers done this?

Celeste is the highest-profile game to make the move so far. It joins House House's co-op game Big Walk, which never launched on Xbox. House House said it would come to the platform "not until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets."

Why it matters

Celeste, one of the most acclaimed indie platformers of the last decade, is now unavailable to buy on Xbox while remaining on every other major platform, and its developer has tied the decision directly to the BDS campaign against Microsoft.