Big Walk developer explains why the game isn't on Xbox

House House, the developer of Big Walk, has explained why it boycotted Xbox and, as a result, why the game is not available on Microsoft's console.

House House, the developer of Big Walk, has explained why it banned Xbox and as a result why the game is not available on Microsoft's console.

House House, the Australian studio behind Untitled Goose Game, released the clever puzzle adventure Big Walk earlier this year on PC, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, leaving the Xbox Series X and S in the cold. Big Walk received critical acclaim upon release, earning a score of 91 on Metacritic and appearing on several Game of the Year contenders.

IGN's Big Walk review returned a 9/10. We said: "The Big Walk is a rewarding co-op adventure full of beautiful epiphany moments as you find solutions to clever puzzles and explore its vast open world with your friends."

Since then, fans have wondered why the game wasn't released for Xbox. In a statement on its website, the House of Representatives said it made the decision as part of its support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign group, which describes itself as a "Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality."

BDS lists Xbox as a "priority" target and has launched a campaign calling on gamers, publishers and developers to boycott Microsoft's gaming efforts. As the BBC reported, Microsoft's work with the Israeli government has been a controversial topic, including within the company itself, sparking protests from some employees.

House House has announced that it will not release Big Walk on Xbox until Microsoft and/or Xbox are removed due to the BDS ban.

The Majlis statement is republished in full below:

In June 2026, we announced that Big Walk's release would be limited to PC, Switch 2, and PS5. Since then, we've received many messages and comments asking about the upcoming version of Xbox. We would like to address these questions here:

We have decided not to release Big Walk on Xbox, in line with the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement's call to boycott Microsoft and designate Microsoft (and Xbox) games as a priority boycott target. If you need help understanding our motivations, we recommend reading about why Microsoft is a priority target of BDS, the successes this type of pressure has already had on Microsoft, and especially watching this excellent introductory piece by People Make Games.

It's always been our intention for Big Walk to be played by groups of friends, and we know that keeping the game away from the Xbox goes against those goals. This decision means that some people will miss out on playing the Big Walk with their friends, and we understand the frustration this causes. We are also disappointed

We'd love for people to be able to play the game on Xbox, but as long as Microsoft and/or Xbox aren't removed as targets of the BDS boycott.

We have made this decision with the belief that meaningful change can be made in the world, that concerted collective action can challenge even the most powerful interests, and that one day Palestine will be free.

Wesley is the managing editor of IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Wesley can be reached at @wesley_yinpoole or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.