Indie developer removes their game from Xbox stores in solidarity with pro-Palestine boycott

Tenderfoot Tactics is a captivating turn-based indie game that captured my attention when it was released. While it is still available on Steam and highly recommended, it will no longer be accessible on the Xbox Store starting today. The development team has made the decision to remove the game from Microsoft’s storefronts in support of the BDS boycott, citing reported connections with the Israeli military.

“The Tenderfoot Tactics team has chosen to withdraw our game from Xbox in solidarity with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign,” stated designer badru on Bluesky. “We urge Microsoft to heed the voices of their employees and customers and cease all dealings with the Israeli military, which has been involved in the ongoing crisis in Gaza for the past 18 months.”

Earlier this month, Microsoft terminated two software engineers who protested against the company’s ties to the Israeli military. In response to this, Microsoft stated, “We provide various channels for all opinions to be heard. However, we ask that this be done without causing disruptions to our business operations. If disruptions occur, we request participants to make alternative arrangements.”

The Ministry Of Health in Gaza has reported a death toll of more than 50,000 Palestinians since October 7th, 2023, although these figures have been disputed by Israel. The BDS movement has labeled Microsoft as “potentially the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and the ongoing crisis affecting 2.3 million Palestinians.”