According to a report from GameSpot, developer House House has confirmed that its critically acclaimed game Big Walk will not arrive on Xbox until Microsoft and/or Xbox are removed as targets of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Big Walk launched several months ago on PC and PS5 to strong critical reception but is unavailable on Xbox Series X|S by design. House House said its decision not to release the game on Xbox was a show of support for the BDS movement.
“It has always been our intention for Big Walk to be played by groups of friends, and we know that keeping the game off Xbox runs counter to those intentions,” House House wrote in a statement. “This decision means that some people will miss out on playing Big Walk with their friends, and we understand the disappointment we’re causing. We are disappointed too. We would love for people to be able to play the game on Xbox, but not until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets. We’ve made this decision with the belief that meaningful change can be made in the world, that coordinated collective action can confront even the most powerful interests, and that one day, Palestine will be free.”
House House
Microsoft became a priority target of the BDS initiative over contracts it holds with the Israeli government and military. BDS has called for a boycott of the company, along with all Xbox games, hardware, and subscriptions.
In response to House House’s announcement, the Palestinian BDS movement said in a statement (via People Makes Jeux’ Chris Bratt) that it “wholeheartedly” supports the developers’ decision and encouraged “gamers, game developers, games journalists, and workers” to sign the No Jeux for Genocide pledge and continue boycotting Xbox.
The pressure on Microsoft has produced results. Last year, the company did block the Israeli government from accessing its cloud storage and AI systems, which has reportedly been used to surveil Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza.
The distinction matters because buying Big Walk on Windows PCs through a marketplace such as Steam does not give Microsoft a cut of sales, unlike purchases made through its Xbox marketplace.
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