As previously announced last week, Squid Shock Games has launched a Patreon campaign to continue post-launch support on its debut title, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus.
The restructuring of publisher Humble Games in late July has resulted in Squid Shock missing “critical post-launch support” like updates and console patches. With the studio’s future uncertain, it will rely on crowdfunding for the time being.
“We’ve explored every possible option to deliver the future content we had planned,” explained Squid Shock, “and decided to create a Patreon for those who would like to support us.”
There are six tiers that range from $1 to $100/mo. Benefits range from early access to development updates, build demos and beta tests, to being listed in the game’s credits.
While crowdfunding for a game (or publication) is nothing new, going that route after a partnership abruptly collapses certainly is. Currently, Squid Shock is the only ex-Humble partner with a clear plan for its future after the restructure.
Bō was initially a Kickstarter-backed game, so in a sense, this brings things full circle. The developer acknowledged it’s a “sad time in the industry,” and put no blame on Humble’s now-departed staff.
At the moment, it appears the focus will be solely on Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. Steps are being taken to regain access to its console versions, and Squid Shock indicated it has “so much planned” beyond updating the game.