House House Opted Out of Xbox Launch in Support of Palestinian-Led BDS Boycott Against Microsoft Games

House House, the creative studio behind Untitled Goose Game, launched its co-op puzzle-adventure title, Big Walk, across PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Mac this past August to widespread critical acclaim. Ever since, fans have wondered why an Xbox Series X/S port was missing from the otherwise robust release lineup. Today, the developers released an official statement clarifying that the absence is a deliberate choice in solidarity with the Palestinian-led BDS movement against Microsoft.

“We have made the decision not to release Big Walk on Xbox, in accordance with the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement call to boycott Microsoft, and their designation of Microsoft Games (and Xbox) as a priority boycott target,” the announcement reads.

The studio added that while they would love for Xbox enthusiasts to experience the game firsthand, that port will not materialize until Microsoft and its gaming divisions are removed from the BDS coalition’s priority target list.

The BDS campaign operates globally as an advocacy movement advocating for “freedom, justice, and equality,” operating on the foundational belief that Palestinians deserve the exact same fundamental rights as anyone else, according to the advocacy group. The movement asserts that ongoing Israeli territorial occupations, systemic discrimination, and the denial of the right of return for refugees violate international law. Established in 2005 and modeled after South Africa’s historic anti-apartheid mobilization, BDS aims to peacefully pressure governments and corporations into complying with international humanitarian standards.

Regarding the focus on Microsoft, the BDS network explains on its portal that the tech giant plays a deeply integrated role in supporting military infrastructure and cloud computing initiatives in the region. The movement urges consumers to cut ties with Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem entirely—including canceling Xbox Game Pass memberships, refraining from playing titles like Minecraft, Candy Crush, and Call of Duty, and avoiding all hardware branded under the Xbox umbrella.

House House concluded its message with an appeal to collective ethics: “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.”

The studio’s complete statement can be read below:

Despite omitting the Xbox platform, Big Walk achieved massive commercial success, surpassing one million copies sold in its opening week. Dive deeper into the experience by reading Game Informer’s official Big Walk review.