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Big Walk Is Skipping Xbox Because of the Pro-Palestinian BDS Boycott
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Big Walk Is Skipping Xbox Because of the Pro-Palestinian BDS Boycott

Oct 16, 20265 sources0 comments

Melbourne-based developer House House, best known for Untitled Goose Game, has confirmed that its cooperative puzzle-adventure game Big Walk will not be released on Xbox. The studio cited its support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lists Microsoft as a priority boycott target. Big Walk launched on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, but House House says it will withhold an Xbox release until Microsoft is removed from the BDS priority list.

The studio acknowledged that the decision comes at a cost, admitting it will cut off a portion of potential players who game exclusively on Xbox. Despite that, House House has been transparent about its reasoning, framing the choice as a deliberate act of solidarity with the pro-Palestinian campaign rather than a business or platform-compatibility decision. The move marks one of the more high-profile instances of a games studio publicly aligning a release strategy with a geopolitical boycott movement.

Key Insights

  • 1House House is skipping Xbox for Big Walk entirely due to the BDS movement's designation of Microsoft as a priority boycott target.
  • 2Big Walk launched on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, making Xbox the sole major platform omission.
  • 3The studio openly acknowledged the decision will cost them players who only have access to Xbox.
  • 4House House said the Xbox version could come if Microsoft is removed as a BDS priority target, leaving the door open under specific conditions.
  • 5This is one of the most prominent examples of a game studio publicly tying its platform release strategy to a geopolitical boycott.

Sources

House House Chose Not To Put Big Walk On Xbox In Accordance With Palestinian-Led BDS Boycott Against Microsoft Games

Game Informer · 1d ago

Big Walk developer House House won't release the game on Xbox because of a Palestine-led Microsoft boycott

Destructoid · 1d ago

House House will not release Big Walk on Xbox in support of pro-Palestinian BDS campaign

GamesIndustry · 1d ago

Big Walk Is Skipping Xbox as Part of the Pro-Palestinian BDS Boycott

Polygon · 1d ago

Big Walk developer explains the lack of Xbox version is due to Microsoft's place on the BDS boycott

Eurogamer · 1d ago

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