Big Walk Skips Xbox as House House Follows BDS Call to Boycott Microsoft
House House says Big Walk will stay off Xbox while Microsoft remains a BDS boycott target. The game launched on four platforms and sold one million copies in under a week.
Big Walk has sold one million copies in less than a week, but its launch lineup still leaves Xbox players out. House House has explained that the omission is a deliberate choice: the studio is following the Palestinian-led BDS movement’s call to boycott Microsoft, which names Microsoft Games and Xbox as priority targets.
The cooperative puzzle-adventure arrived in August on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC and Mac. Xbox Series X/S is the only console missing from that list. House House says it would like Xbox players to experience the game, but plans to wait until Microsoft and/or Xbox are no longer targets of the movement’s call.
That makes the platform gap more than a question of porting schedules. For players, the immediate effect is straightforward: Big Walk is unavailable on Xbox, and the studio has tied any change to a shift in the movement’s designation of Microsoft. House House has not given a date for an Xbox version.
A platform decision with a stated condition
House House’s explanation links the choice directly to BDS, short for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions. The movement describes itself as working for freedom, justice and equality, and says Palestinians should have the same rights as everyone else. Its origins date to 2005, and it draws inspiration from the South African anti-apartheid movement.
The studio’s position follows the movement’s call to avoid Microsoft products, including its gaming business. BDS urges people to cancel Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and boycott Microsoft gaming products such as Xbox consoles, headsets and games from Microsoft-owned publishing labels. It also names Candy Crush, Minecraft and Call of Duty.
In explaining why Microsoft is a priority target, BDS points to the company’s technology services and business ties in Israel. The movement says Microsoft provides cloud and artificial intelligence services used by the Israeli military, and describes those services as part of a broader pattern of complicity. Those are BDS’s claims and rationale; House House cites the movement’s designation as the basis for its own platform decision.
The distinction matters for understanding the studio’s choice. House House has not said that Xbox lacks the technical ability to run the game, nor has it described a production or publishing issue. Its explanation is grounded in the movement’s call. The studio says the game could reach Xbox players if Microsoft and/or Xbox are removed from the list of targets.
What players can access now
For anyone deciding where to play, the confirmed platforms are PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC and Mac. The source does not give prices, sales figures beyond the first-week milestone, or details about differences between those versions. It also does not describe any platform-specific features, so there’s no basis here to suggest one version offers a distinct experience.
The million-copy figure offers a measure of the game’s early reach, while critical acclaim gives some indication of its reception. Those milestones help explain why Xbox players have been asking about a version. Still, neither sales nor player interest changes the condition House House has set for a possible release.
For the studio, the decision puts its stated position ahead of the additional audience an Xbox release might bring. For players, it means the game’s reach will depend on the four platforms already listed unless the target designation changes. House House closes its statement by expressing its belief that coordinated collective action can make a difference and that Palestine will one day be free.
Game Informer published its Big Walk review here. House House’s explanation is available in its full post, and BDS describes its aims on its website. Its explanation of the Microsoft target is available here.
