Big Walk, a recent popular co-op game where you and your group of friends traverse a strange land while communicating with each other via voice chat, was only released on PS5, PC, and Switch 2, with Xbox oddly left out of the equation. When players asked why, the developers said it was because of a targeted Microsoft boycott by a Palestinian-led organization.
As developer House House explained on social media, the company skipped Xbox because of a boycott by BDS – Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions – a Palestinian-led movement seeking exactly those three things against the government and state of Israel. According to the developer, BDS specifically targets Microsoft and its subsidiary Microsoft Games (now called Xbox again) as “priority boycott target[s].”
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Though the developers understand some players will not be able to play the game with their friends, they will still stay away from Xbox “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,” the developers wrote in their explanation.
The situation in Palestine, and in particular the West Bank and Gaza, has been recognized by many states of the world as a genocide, including EU member states Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain. The USA, as well as Israel, oppose this view. The situation has sparked boycotts and protests against the state in an effort to obtain broader political and other support for the Palestinian cause.
