Developer House House has shared an official statement addressing Big Walk‘s absence on Xbox, explaining its reasoning for boycotting the console company. Since its release in August 2026, Big Walk has received high praise for its unique 12-player co-op premise, and some fans consider it a strong Game of the Year contender.
Earlier this year, Big Walk was launched on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5, and was even part of PS Plus’ August lineup. In only six days, Big Walk reached one million sales without counting PS Plus downloads, as publisher Panic suggested. The successful co-op title has not been exempt from controversy, though, with many players wondering why the game is not available on Xbox. Now, House House has answered fans’ queries and revealed Big Walk‘s potential Xbox launch on one condition.
Why Big Walk Is Boycotting Xbox
In a recent official blog post, House House revealed its decision to keep Big Walk off Xbox in support of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, a Palestinian-led campaign group. BDS has Microsoft and its video game product divisions, including Xbox, on its priority boycott target list because of its work with the Israeli military, such as allegedly supplying AI services and surveillance technology on Palestinians. House House made its decision “with the belief that meaningful change can be made in the world.” The Australian studio has previously launched popular co-op titles on Xbox like Untitled Goose Game in the past, but it has taken a different approach with Big Walk.
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House House thanked players for understanding its reasoning for boycotting Xbox and shared its disappointment that not all players can enjoy Big Walk. However, the studio did state that it “would love” to launch Big Walk on Xbox in the future, but either Microsoft or Xbox needs to be removed as BDS’ boycott target first. With such a specific prerequisite from House House, the game may not land on Xbox soon, but it seems the developer will remain firm on its stance.
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This is not the first time that Microsoft’s involvement with Israel has affected Xbox’s game roster. Earlier in 2025, the indie Tenderfoot Tactics was delisted from Xbox in support of the BDS movement. Additionally, the boycott of Microsoft has also prompted its own staff to protest against the company, as reported by the BBC. It remains to be seen whether more studios take a stand against Xbox and Microsoft for similar reasons.
The absence of Big Walk from Xbox takes away its chance to have a potential Game of the Year winner in its catalog. Critics have praised Big Walk, and it currently has an impressive 91 score on Metacritic, making it one of 2026’s highest-rated games. On the other hand, Xbox still has its own strong bets for GOTY in the upcoming award season, with titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Forza Horizon 6 enjoying high ratings. Other third-party games such as GTA 6 and Resident Evil Requiem are also considerable contenders, but fans will have to wait to see which game takes home the trophy.
- Released
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August 4, 2026
- Developer(s)
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House House
- Publisher(s)
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Panic
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Full
