It takes a lot of patience to get through Celeste, especially if you want to nab all the Strawberries and complete every challenge. Those looking forward to the next adventure from developer Extremely OK Games will also need to exercise patience, because Earthblade is no longer aiming for a 2024 launch.
To put it more succinctly, “this game ain’t coming out in 2024.” That’s how Maddy Thorson put it in an update post over on the developer’s official website. “We had hoped to be announcing a firm release date around now, but it just isn’t in the cards,” Thorson added, acknowledging how disappointing the news will be for the audience and that “it always sucks when the haters are right.”
It’s not all doom and gloom for Earthblade. The post goes on to note that progress is being made, and the team is still excited about the project. A new designer also joined the team in Kyle Pulver, a longtime friend and veteran indie developer who is also both the world champion of the team’s TowerFall and a hidden character in the game.
Movin’ on up
From the sound of it, Kyle’s addition has been nothing but a positive for Earthblade‘s progress. He came through with some big ideas right away, and while that might be intimidating in the midst of development, Thorson says, “He’s identifying our vision and the problems preventing the game from living up to it, and working with us to pinpoint solutions.” It’s a testament to the benefit of getting a fresh pair of eyes on a project at any stage, because it’s easy to get lost or stuck on an issue you might not even be able to see.
“What pushed us to recruit Kyle was the realization that I had become the bottleneck,” Thorson continued. Despite the fact that they’ve been hesitant to expand — out of concern for both budget and communication — Thorson has been juggling a heavy workload, handling direction for the team, and dealing with personal issues.
Through all of the ups and downs, though, it’s nice to read the positivity in Thorson’s final words on the game itself: “Despite the setbacks, we all still believe in this project, and more importantly in each other.”
