Big Walk Skips Xbox Release Over Microsoft BDS Boycott

Big Walk Skips Xbox Release Over Microsoft BDS Boycott

Melbourne-based developer House House has officially confirmed that its cooperative puzzle adventure Big Walk will not launch on Microsoft Xbox platforms, opting instead to release exclusively on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. The decision stems from the studio's formal observance of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Microsoft over corporate contracts with the Israeli military. For gamers across Malaysia and Southeast Asia, this move restricts access across console ecosystems, cementing Big Walk as a multiplatform title confined to Sony, Nintendo, and PC storefronts while completely bypassing Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox Series X/S hardware footprint.

Key Facts

Why Did House House Exclude Big Walk From Xbox Consoles?

House House excluded Big Walk from Xbox consoles to uphold the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement launched in 2025 against Microsoft over military contracts with Israel. While acknowledging that skipping Xbox reduces cooperative play options among friends, the studio stated it will refuse to deploy the game on Xbox platforms until Microsoft is cleared as a boycott target.

In a direct statement published to explain the platform omission, the Australian development collective stated:

"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."

House House Official Statement

House House has sustained vocal political divestment initiatives since at least 2023, while also allocating a minimum of 1% of its overall studio income to Indigenous groups under the Pay the Rent campaign in Australia. The studio joins fellow independent teams, including Speculative Agency and badru, in actively withholding software catalog rights from Xbox ecosystems. House House confirmed Big Walk will not receive an Xbox console release until Microsoft is formally delisted as an active target by the BDS movement.

How Does the Boycott Affect Southeast Asian Gamers and Import Platforms?

Southeast Asian gamers will not be able to access Big Walk through Xbox digital storefronts, local retail distributors, or subscription ecosystems such as PC Game Pass. Co-op groups must purchase the title digitally through the PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, or Steam, or source physical multi-language imports for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

Because Xbox console penetration across Southeast Asia—specifically Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand—remains significantly smaller than PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC handheld ecosystems, the practical impact on local player counts falls primarily on mixed-platform friend groups. Handheld PC users running Big Walk on Valve Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally via Steam will remain entirely unaffected by the console boycott, retaining full access to patched positional proximity voice chat features. Malaysian gamers on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam Deck retain full multiplatform co-op access to Big Walk without missing cross-network functionality.

Southeast Asia & Malaysian Collector Verdict

Physical game collectors in Malaysia seeking boxed media will need to track regional physical editions or import physical copies via Play-Asia for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Unlike domestic Western storefronts that rely increasingly on Xbox digital codes, Southeast Asian retail networks heavily favour physical PlayStation discs and Nintendo cartridges containing standalone on-media software.

Estimated physical retail imports are projected at roughly RM150 to RM199 depending on logistics, import tariffs, and Japanese yen exchange rates. Digital storefront purchases across Steam Malaysia and the regional PlayStation Store will offer localized Malaysian Ringgit pricing, bypassing currency conversion fees. Physical game collectors in Southeast Asia should prioritize Japanese or Asian multi-language Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 physical cartridges to preserve access independent of digital platform politics.

Common Questions

Will Big Walk come to Xbox Game Pass in the future?

No, House House has confirmed Big Walk will not launch on Xbox platforms or subscription tiers until Microsoft is removed from the international BDS movement target list.

Can PC players on Steam play Big Walk with friends on PS5 or Switch 2?

Yes, Big Walk is engineered specifically around multiplatform online cooperative puzzle-solving across PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 using cross-platform matchmaking and built-in proximity voice systems.

Are physical import editions of Big Walk playable in English?

Yes, regional Asian and Japanese physical releases for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 traditionally include standard English text and voice tracks directly on the media.

Sources and Methodology

Primary data and statements sourced directly from studio disclosures verified via Rock Paper Shotgun reporting ("Big Walk devs House House announce support for BDS Microsoft boycott, say the co-op puzzler isn't coming to Xbox"). Currency conversions into Malaysian Ringgit (RM) represent approximate foreign exchange rates based on standard international pricing tiers. Verification executed October 2026.