In a recent turn of events, Squid Shock Studios, the developer behind the game Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, has reached out to its fan base for support on Patreon. This new development comes after the collapse of Humble Games, which left the studio without critical post-launch support.
Unexpected Publisher Shutdown
The unexpected shutdown of Humble Games has thrown Squid Shock Studios into a challenging situation. As noted in their Twitter statement, ‘It has been a hectic two weeks since we launched our first game, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus.’ The studio lost access to essential systems without warning on July 25th. While they managed to push an update on Steam, the same support couldn’t be extended to console versions due to the lost pipeline.
Impact on Developers
The restructuring affected not just the supported studios but also Humble Games’ in-house team, with reports indicating that 36 employees were laid off. Chris Radley, a former Humble employee, revealed that the team was replaced by a third-party consultancy. Despite an official statement from Humble Games to prioritize support for their partners, it is evident that Squid Shock Studios was significantly impacted.
Return to Crowdfunding
Initially funded on Kickstarter, Squid Shock Studios has once again turned to crowdfunding, this time through Patreon. They offer six membership tiers, ranging from the Seedling option at $1 per month, which includes a digital thank-you card, to the Kami option at $100 per month, which provides a unique in-game collaboration experience. This move aims to secure the necessary resources to continue their work and support the Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus community.
‘We have so much planned for our studio beyond small updates for our game,’ Squid Shock shared, emphasizing their commitment to their community and future projects. In these trying times, the support from fans is crucial for the studio’s survival and growth.
