The critically acclaimed video game Big Walk, which is a collaborative adventure puzzle game, has not been released on the Xbox platform since its launch in August. The developers explained this decision as necessary to comply with the principles of the BDS movement, which is led by Palestine.
The Australian studio House House, which created this highly rated game, released Big Walk earlier this year for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, deliberately excluding the Xbox Series X and S. In an official statement, the developers indicated that the reason was the inclusion of Microsoft, the company behind Xbox, in the BDS blacklist.
House House stated: 'We would like people to be able to play the game on Xbox, but not until Microsoft and/or Xbox are removed from the targets of the BDS boycott. We made this decision believing in the possibility of making significant changes in the world, that coordinated collective actions can counter even the most powerful interests, and that Palestine will one day be free.'
The BDS movement included Microsoft around June 2025 due to its ties with the Israeli military and government, citing the use of Microsoft technologies for surveillance of Palestinians. The call for boycott also extends to Xbox consoles, accessories, and other Microsoft products.
BDS published a statement in support of House House's action and calls on all 'journalists and gaming industry workers to sign the No Games for Genocide pledge and boycott Xbox from Microsoft.'
Ethical or Just Posturing?
Reactions online have been mixed: some fully supported the boycott and praised the developers' stance, while others expressed less enthusiasm, calling the move 'posturing.'
One user on X wrote that if House House cares so much about Palestinians, they should also boycott SONY, as SONY allegedly sold equipment to various armed forces, including Israeli ones. They added that in any case, they can pursue their political nonsense and hope for collapse.
Other users noted that the developers' previous game, Untitled Goose Game, is available on Xbox, whereas Big Walk is available via Steam—a digital platform allowing users to purchase and download games for PC. They questioned the consistency of House House's position regarding the boycott, pointing to the game's availability through Steam for Microsoft users.
Nevertheless, purchasing the game through Steam does not generate the same revenue for Microsoft as purchasing it through Xbox. It is also worth mentioning that in 2023, House House published a statement expressing support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. In their statement, the developers wrote: 'End this genocide. End apartheid. Free Palestine.'