Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus launched on July 18 to generally solid reviews, but console players of the hand-drawn action platformer will have to wait longer for any post-launch updates. Developer Squid Shock Studios revealed that last week’s sudden Humble Games Publisher Closure adversely affected the ability to provide timely support for these versions of the game.
In a statement published on TwitterSquid Shock Studios states that last week’s apparent shutdown of Humble Games, in which the entire 36-person team was laid off by owner Ziff Davis as part of what it calls a “restructuring,” has adversely affected its ability to provide post-launch support for the console versions of Bō. The studio states that this is because the game’s porting and QA support are tied to its contract with Humble. The PC version does not appear to be affected, and the studio is currently working on updates for that version. Here’s Squid Shock Studios’ full statement:
We want to give you an update on Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. We’re really proud of how the launch went, and it was great to hear all of your feedback on our game.
That said, our launch wasn’t without its challenges. As most of you know, our publisher, Humble Games, effectively shut down, laying off all 35 team members. This caught us completely off guard, and for a compact development team like us, it was a critical blow to our post-launch support.
We are currently in a arduous position when it comes to updating the console ports, as both Porting and QA Support have been tied up in our contract with Humble. We are actively exploring all available avenues to allow us to bring the update to the console versions, but we regret to inform you that it may take some time.
We just want to assure players that we will fix this issue. We are working on updates for the PC version and want to make sure those updates and fixes come to consoles in the future.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Considering the number of games Humble has published, both released and upcoming, it’s likely not the only game or studio that has had these kinds of issues due to sudden layoffs. If you’re planning on buying Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, PC seems like the best bet for the foreseeable future.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is inspired by Japanese folklore, where players control a warrior named Bō who descends from the Heavens to fulfill an archaic prophecy. Armed with Bō’s shape-shifting staff, players traverse a dreamlike, Metroidvania-inspired world battling monsters. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
