Rob Hale, the indie game developer best known as Squid in a Box, has died. Earlier this month, Hale passed away from cancer, and his partner CJ recently broke the news on the Steam forums of Hale’s game, Waves 2: Notorious.
“Rob was so passionate about his work, and so dedicated, throughout the years we were together, they always dreamed big and worked so hard to create the best game they could,” CJ wrote. “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. His first solo game, Waves, was a twin-stick shooter that was released in 2011. Waves 2 was released as an early access title in 2015 and will remain unfinished. Despite this, CJ noted that Rob was “dedicated to his craft”, even when that ambition didn’t always lead to success.
“I know they would have loved to have completed this final project,” continued CJ, “but as Covid hit, the need to have a more stable income came up and between those factors and Rob’s struggles with his health, they never had the time. to end 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 leading up to his death. “I hope this can be seen as a parting gift to all those who haven’t played any of these games yet.”