House House has decided not to launch Big Walk on Xbox, aligning itself with the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement
Image credit: House House/Panic
The game developer House House, located in Melbourne, has chosen not to bring their game Big Walk to the Xbox platform in alignment with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) initiative.
House House's official statement highlights that the decision arises from the BDS movement's call to boycott Microsoft and targets Xbox as a primary focus of this action.
"We intended for Big Walk to be enjoyed among friends, and we recognize that excluding Xbox users may hinder this," the statement mentioned. "We regret the inconvenience to players and share their disappointment."
The statement further notes that the developers hope to make Big Walk available on Xbox if Microsoft ceases to be a target of the BDS movement. It expressed a belief in the potential for coordinated action to drive change, with hopes for freedom for Palestine in the future.
The stance taken by House House is echoed by other developers. Dan Dilorio, the creator of Luck be a Landlord, has advised players against acquiring the game on Xbox and committed to donating $10,000 to The Palestine Children's Relief Fund, aiming to counter the revenue earned by Microsoft.
Similarly, Speculative Agency, creators of All Will Rise, have expressed interest in the No Games for Genocide campaign, which involves possibly returning financial support received from Microsoft through a developer program.
"We may need to break our agreement with Microsoft and find alternative funding in a challenging financial landscape," Speculative Agency shared in a statement with PC Gamer. "The urgency of the No Games for Genocide initiative outweighs these challenges."
Indie developer Ice Water also removed their game Tenderfoot Tactics from Xbox, in solidarity with BDS, expressing hope that the global community will pressure for the end of the occupation in Palestine.
Members of the Arkane Studios union have published a letter urging Microsoft to halt its support for Israel.
The BDS movement began in April 2025 and specifically references Microsoft in its demand for the company to cease involvement in actions against Palestinians.
Following these developments, an internal review by Microsoft in May 2025 confirmed its business relations with Israel's Ministry of Defence, noting the provision of technology services. However, Microsoft asserted that no evidence indicated these services were used in harmful actions against individuals in Gaza.