Big Walk developer explains the lack of Xbox version is due to Microsoft’s place on the BDS boycott

House House, the Australian indie developer behind Untitled Goose Game, has announced that its acclaimed co-op puzzle game Big Walk will not receive an Xbox release. The studio cited support for the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement as the reason for excluding Microsoft’s console platform.

In a statement posted to social media, House House explained that it made this decision “in accordance with the Palestinian-led BDS movement’s call to boycott Microsoft, and their designation of Microsoft Games (and Xbox) as a priority boycott target.” The BDS movement, a pro-Palestinian human rights campaign, has designated Microsoft as a priority target due to the company’s contracts with the Israeli military and government.

Big Walk, which released on August 4, 2026, has been a major commercial and critical success, selling over 1 million copies within six days and earning a 91 on Metacritic. The game is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, but will not launch on Xbox Series X and S.

House House acknowledged the impact of this decision, stating: “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.” The developer emphasized that the decision was made “with the belief that meaningful change can be made in the world” and indicated the game would only come to Xbox “not until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets.” The studio stressed this was not due to any exclusivity deal, but rather a deliberate choice based on its political stance.

Big Walk developer explains the lack of Xbox version is due to Microsoft’s place on the BDS boycott

Sources