Indie Dev Tells Fans To Not Buy Game On Xbox Over Israel Boycott - Kotaku

Indie dev urges players not to buy Luck Be a Landlord on Xbox amid Israel-Palestine boycott

The creator of roguelike slot game Luck Be a Landlord, Dan DiIorio, is asking fans not to purchase the game on Xbox and to boycott Microsoft, citing the company’s continued support for Israel during the Israel-Palestine conflict. He also encouraged players to cancel Xbox Game Pass.

DiIorio reshared investigative outlet People Make Games’ decision to boycott Xbox and added that he intends to donate $10,000 to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund to offset the revenue his game has generated for Microsoft. In a statement to Kotaku via email, he urged anyone who can to support the charity, regardless of where they bought the game.

Key details:

• DiIorio: ‘Please do not purchase Luck Be a Landlord on Xbox.’ He plans a $10,000 donation to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
• He also encourages players with Xbox Game Pass to cancel their subscriptions.
• Luck Be a Landlord launched on PC in 2023 and came to consoles in 2025; the game helped inspire Balatro.
• The move follows other indie actions: in April, the Tenderfoot Tactics team pulled its game from the Xbox store in solidarity with the BDS campaign, as reported by Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

Why it matters:

• The boycott movement has created ongoing challenges for Xbox’s platform and brand reputation, with further repercussions likely into 2026.

Author: Zack Zwiezen
Published: December 18, 2025

Source: https://kotaku.com/luck-be-a-landlord-boycott-bds-xbox-israel-palenstine-indie-dev-2000654628