Rob Hale, the indie game developer best known as Squid in a Box, has passed away. Earlier this month, Hale died of cancer, and his partner CJ recently broke the news on the Steam forums of Hale's game, Waves 2: Notorious.
"Rob was very passionate about their work, and ever so dedicated, over the years we were together they were always dreaming big and trying so hard to create the best game they could possibly make," wrote CJ. "It was a joy to support Rob, through that initial Kickstarter, and the years of indie development that followed."
Prior to indie development, Hale had worked as a modder and developer on triple-A titles. Their first solo game, Waves, was a twin-stick shooter that released in 2011. Waves 2 released as an Early Access title in 2015 and will remain unfinished. Despite that, CJ pointed out that Rob was "dedicated to their craft," even when that ambition didn't always lead to success.
"I know they would have liked to have completed that final project," CJ continued, "but as Covid encroached, the need to have a more stable income was looming and between these factors and Rob’s struggles with their health, they never got the time to cap off this particular branch of their legacy."
Both Waves games have been made free to play on Steam, something CJ said Hale had been considering in the months before his passing. "I hope this can be seen as a parting gift to all those out there that haven’t yet played either of these games."