Celeste creator self-reflects on game's fourth anniversary Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Celeste creator self-reflects on game's fourth anniversary "Celeste taught me so much about myself and will always be a part of me". News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Updated on 26 Jan 2022 12 comments Maddy Thorson, creator of the tricky yet accessible platformer Celeste, has written a self-reflective blog on the game's fourth anniversary. Released on 25th January 2018, the story of Celeste - that of overcoming impossible odds to climb the titular mountain - resonated with plenty of people, none more so than Thorson herself. In a previous blog post from 2020, Thorson answered the question: "Is Madeline canonically trans?". "During Celeste's development, I did not know that Madeline or myself were trans," she wrote. "During the Farewell DLC's development, I began to form a hunch. Post-development, I now know that we both are." Watch on YouTube In this new blog post, Thorson thanks fans for the game's reception and explains further how the game is intertwined with her trans identity. "If the discourse around Celeste hadn't become so focused on its queer undertones, I don't think I would have come out publicly for a long time," she says. "It felt like people needed to know whether Madeline was trans, and I felt a responsibility to engage with that conversation. Once I started trying to do just that, I found it impossible without talking about my own now-apparent transness. "I think there's value in the confirmation that yes, Celeste is a trans story in addition to its broader relatability. I am thrilled that my work and my personal story have helped people, and I think that it's important for real live trans people to be visible." With this, though, comes a sense of "heavy responsibility" for Thorson. It's for this reason she plans to step away from social media. "Who I am is changing, or wants to change, and this public persona has become an obstacle to that change," she says. "It doesn't feel like I have room to be the messy, growing human I am in this kind of position. I'm not ready to be a symbol in the way that social media demands - I'm still just a girl who's trying to figure her shit out. "I do not want to make Celeste again and I do not want to be who I was when we made Celeste, again. "And this gender transition, more than anything else, is begging me to let go. I need to let go of who I was and the roles that I tried so desperately to fill. I need to allow my identity to disintegrate. I need to have faith that the essential core that constitutes 'me' is indestructible." While she reflects on the importance of Celeste, it's time for Thorson to look ahead to the future. "Celeste taught me so much about myself and will always be a part of me. But for me it's ultimately about who I was - it can't contain everything that I will ever be," she says. What's next is a new game: Earthblade. There's still no release date, but last year saw a "vibe reveal" showing teaser artwork and music. All we know is it's a "2D explor-action game in a seamless pixel art world". Earthblade Vibe reveal! (sound on!) A 2D explor-action game in a seamless pixel art world. The next release from the Celeste team, coming 20XX. pic.twitter.com/ceAM80PEaG- Extremely OK Games (@exok_games) April 19, 2021 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Celeste is available to play on Switch, PC, Stadia, Xbox and PlayStation. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store