Big Walk developer House House has explained why it’s boycotting Xbox and thus why the game isn’t available on Microsoft’s console.
House House, the Australian studio behind Untitled Goose Game, released clever co-op puzzle adventure Big Walk earlier this year on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, leaving Xbox Series X and S out in the cold. Big Walk was critically acclaimed upon release, earning a 91 rating on Metacritic and multiple appearances on Game of the Year contender lists.
IGN’s Big Walk review returned a 9/10. We said: “Big Walk is a rewarding co-op adventure full of beautiful emergent moments as you find solutions to cleverly built puzzles and explore its vast open world with your friends.”
Since then, fans had wondered why the game failed to come out Xbox. In a statement published to its website, House House said it made the decision as part of its support for campaign group Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), which describes itself as a “Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality.”
IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
BDS lists Xbox as a “priority” target, and has launched a campaign calling on gamers, streamers, and developers to boycott Microsoft’s gaming efforts. As reported by the BBC, Microsoft’s work with the Israeli government has been a controversial issue, including within the company itself, prompting protests by some employees.
House House indicated that it won’t release Big Walk on Xbox “until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets.”
House House’s statement is republished in full below:
Regarding Xbox
In June 2026 we announced that the release of Big Walk would be limited to computers, Switch 2 and PS5. Since then, we have received many messages and comments, asking about a future Xbox release. We would like to address those questions here:
We have made the decision not to release Big Walk on Xbox, in accordance with the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement’s call to boycott Microsoft, and their designation of Microsoft Games (and Xbox) as a priority boycott target. If you need help understanding our motives, we would recommend reading about why Microsoft is a BDS priority target, the successes this kind of pressure has already had on Microsoft, and especially, watching this great introductory piece by People Make Games.
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. 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.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
House House
