Summary
An indie RPG dubbedTenderfoot Tacticshas been pulled fromXbox’sdigital storefront in a move linked to a broader Palestinian protest. Developed by Ice Water Games,Tenderfoot Tacticsis no longer available to buy onXboxconsoles as part of a growing boycott movement targeting Microsoft and a few other companies.
Prior to this removal,Tenderfoot Tacticshad quietly launched on Xbox One and Series X/S back in February 2024, following its initial 2020 debut on PC. Atactical RPGset in a world being consumed by corrupting fogs,Tenderfoot Tacticshad built a modest reputation on Steam and garnered a positive user review score of 82 percent. DespiteTenderfoot Tactic’s relatively low profile on Xbox, Ice Water Games accrued a fair bit of attention by joining the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which recently added Microsoft to its boycott list over alleged ties to the Israeli military.
According to Ice Water Games, the decision to pullTenderfoot Tacticsfrom Xbox was made “in solidarity” with the BDS campaign. The movementaccuses Microsoft of providing Azure cloud and AI services crucial to IDF (Israeli Defence Force) military operations in Gaza. This follows other independent reports detailing how AI technologies are used to sift through intelligence and select military targets, sometimes leading to tragic errors. Microsoft has also faced internal backlash, with two employees reportedly fired after protesting the company’s Israeli links during its 50th anniversary event. Meanwhile, the BDS campaign has urged consumers to boycottMicrosoft’s gaming products, includingMinecraft,Call of Duty, and Xbox Game Pass, with slogans like “Genocide is not a game.”
Indie RPG Removed from Xbox Store Over Microsoft’s Israeli Affiliations
The removal ofTenderfoot Tacticsmarks the first known case of a developer voluntarily pulling agame from the Xbox Storein support of the Israeli boycott. At the time of writing, Ice Water Games has not indicated when, or if,Tenderfoot Tacticswill return to Xbox consoles. Microsoft, for its part, has yet to provide a statement formally acknowledging the situation. Other companies such as HP and Reebok have also been targeted by the BDS movement for separate reasons linked to Israeli affiliations.
WhileTenderfoot Tacticsmay not have been ahugely popular name on Xbox, its removal does signify that game developers are much more confident now in using their platforms to take political stances, even if it means sacrificing sales potential. It remains to be seen whether more developers follow Ice Water Games' lead, but until then, one can only hope Microsoft is cognizant of the situation and will speak up soon.
