Indie Developer House House Refuses Xbox Port Over BDS Boycott
Australian indie studio House House refuses to release its hit game Big Walk on Xbox, citing the BDS movement and calls to boycott Microsoft over political reasons.
Australian Studio Delays Xbox Port Over BDS Boycott
Independent game developer House House has announced that its hit game Big Walk will not be released for the Xbox console. The studio attributed the decision to the Palestinian-led BDS movement, which calls for boycotting Microsoft and targeting its gaming division due to political grievances.
House House, an Australian indie studio founded in 2014, previously achieved massive global success with the 2017 release Untitled Goose Game, which sold over a million copies in just three months. Their latest title, Big Walk, launched in August and rapidly surpassed that sales milestone within six days on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, maintaining a 96 percent positive rating.
Developer Statement and Political Stance
Despite high demand from Xbox owners, the studio confirmed that the port is on indefinite hold. In a statement posted to social media, House House acknowledged their disappointment regarding the limitation but doubled down on their activist stance.
We decided not to release Big Walk on Xbox following the BDS movement led by Palestinians, which calls to boycott Microsoft and its gaming division. We made this decision believing that meaningful change can happen in the world and that one day Palestine will be free.
As a result, console players who only own an Xbox will be unable to experience the critically acclaimed multiplayer title until the diplomatic conditions cited by the studio change.
