Celeste studio announces Earthblade, a 2D pixel art "explor-action game"

Earthblade
(Image credit: Extremely OK Games)

Extremely OK Games, the studio behind 2018 indie darling Celeste, has announced and shared a few details about its new game Earthblade.

In lieu of an official trailer, Extremely OK Games has revealed a teaser poster, a snippet of the game's soundtrack, and a few very vague details about Earthblade. Extremely OK Games' Maddy Thorson calls today's announcement a "vibe reveal," designed to "[establish] the world and the feeling of being in it."

Earthblade is being described as a "2D explor-action game in a seamless pixel art world." There's a "20XX" release window, so expect Earthblade to launch sometime in the next 80 years. Optimistically, Thorson says, it'll launch within five years of Celeste, so 2023, but it could take longer. "The truth is that we don't know how long it will take, just that it will take as long as it takes (and that it will take a long time)."

Likewise, it'll be sometime before we hear anything else from Extremely OK Games on Earthblade, but when we do get the full reveal, it sounds like it'll be quite the show. "When we finally do show it off, be sure to point your feet away from animals and small children, and prepare for your footwear to be blasted clean off your feet," Thorson teases.

"While making Celeste, we basically tweeted out whatever interesting-looking thing we were working on day-to-day, when we were in the mood for sharing," Thorson explains. "But an air of mystery lends itself particularly well to this project, so we've opted to save it all up for a big reveal that will hopefully blow your socks off."

Here are some more words from Thorson indicating that Earthblade is still in the conceptual phases of development and likely a long ways off from releasing.

"I am so excited about this project. I can see the whole thing in my head. Not perfectly, mind you — most of the details are still pretty blurry in my mental image, and I'm sure a lot will change along the way. But I can see the general shape of it, and I feel really good about where it's going."

In the long wait for Earthblade, play this excellent Celeste and Portal crossover game.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
Earthblade
Celeste developer abruptly cancels new game after 5 years of development after founding member departs over copyright "fracture"
Earthblade trailer screenshot
Celeste composer releases soundtrack from canceled Metroidvania game Earthblade, and it's a tearjerker mash-up of classic anime soundtracks and synth: "We'll never get a chance to tell that story in game form"
Screenshots of Possessor(s) gameplay
Smash Bros meets Metroidvania in Possessor(s), Heart Machine's new side-scrolling opus
Blades of Fire
Metroid Dread dev channels that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow energy in a new action game with "almost infinite" ways to build your own weapon
Inayah appearing in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
Inayah – Life After Gods is an anime-inspired, hand-drawn take on Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, and it's coming to Steam this month
Faraway screenshot of shooting stars and a level up sign next to the Big in 2025 logo
Faraway is a minimalist outer space puzzle game that was inspired by high level Tetris mastery
Latest in Games
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening launches for $50 without a stay in early access, and while the survival MMO "will not have a monthly subscription" it will have "optional" paid DLC
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red won't make survival games just because they're popular, but Netflix's Edgerunners anime is fueling dreams bigger than RPGs
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe actor was terrified to perform until her first mocap scene earned "a standing ovation" on set: "Maybe I can do this mocap thing"
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke actor says that Naoe could beat his samurai in a fight: “Especially with that big a** helmet of mine”
The Legend of Dragoon
Beloved PS1 JRPG Legend of Dragoon wasn't meant to be a Final Fantasy 7 killer, Super Mario RPG's battle designer just said "I want to make a new RPG"
Fallout 76 screenshot showing an irradiated mutant man-like creature screeching, its sharp canine teeth showing
After 14 years at Bethesda, Skyrim and Fallout veteran made his final settlement in just 2 days – but only because he'd made some rough ones before that
Latest in News
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening launches for $50 without a stay in early access, and while the survival MMO "will not have a monthly subscription" it will have "optional" paid DLC
Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton in Hawkeye
Linda Cardellini cast as Jason's mom, the original Friday the 13th killer, for Crystal Lake prequel series
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red won't make survival games just because they're popular, but Netflix's Edgerunners anime is fueling dreams bigger than RPGs
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe actor was terrified to perform until her first mocap scene earned "a standing ovation" on set: "Maybe I can do this mocap thing"
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke actor says that Naoe could beat his samurai in a fight: “Especially with that big a** helmet of mine”