Big Walk developer House House has explained why it’s boycotting Xbox and thus why the game isn’t available on Microsoft’s console.
House House, the Australian studio behind Untitled Goose Game, released clever co-op puzzle adventure Big Walk earlier this year on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, leaving Xbox Series X and S out in the cold. Big Walk was critically acclaimed upon release, earning a 91 rating on Metacritic and multiple appearances on Game of the Year contender lists.
IGN’s Big Walk review returned a 9/10. We said: “Big Walk is a rewarding co-op adventure full of beautiful emergent moments as you find solutions to cleverly built puzzles and explore its vast open world with your friends.”
Since then, fans had wondered why the game failed to come out Xbox. In a statement published to its website, House House said it made the decision as part of its support for campaign group Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), which describes itself as a “Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality.”
IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
BDS lists Xbox as a “priority” target, and has launched a campaign calling on gamers, streamers, and developers to boycott Microsoft’s gaming efforts. As reported by the BBC, Microsoft’s work with the Israeli government has been a controversial issue, including within the company itself, prompting protests by some employees.
House House indicated that it won’t release Big Walk on Xbox “until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets.”
House House’s statement is republished in full below: