Recently, Justin Roiland, famously known for his iconic voice acting and co-creation of Rick and Morty, was arrested and charged with one felony count of domestic battery, as well as one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit. While a court ruling has yet to be issued, Roiland's voice acting career and future as Squanch Games' CEO after the release of High on Life remain very much uncertain.
Squanch Games is known for bringing Rick and Morty humor to video games, making it widely recognizable, which High on Life is the prime example of. With its CEO facing the possibility of being convicted for the aforementioned felonies, the future of Squanch Games may be on the line.
The Future of Squanch Games After Justin Roiland's Arrest
Whenever a CEO suddenly departs from a company for whatever reason, the board of directors usually takes hold of the role. After a short while, the board finds someone else who is suitable to take the role of CEO and the company moves on from there. This is normally done through a pre-planned succession process, but that will likely not happen in this case. Things are a little different for Squanch Games, as Roiland represents more than just a CEO, especially seeing how he is the creator of High on Life.
Due to his fame as a voice actor, Roiland is not only the CEO but the face of Squanch Games. Many of the studio's games carry the distinct art style, voice acting, and sense of humor often found in projects he is associated with. For example, Kenny from High on Life is recognized by many just for sharing the same voice as Morty from Rick and Morty. It becomes nearly impossible to disassociate the art from the artist, as Roiland's style is deeply ingrained into all of his projects. This could become a moral quandary for anyone that might have an interest in playing one of the studio's games. If Roiland was to be found guilty, it could drag Squanch Games' reputation through the mire as well.
If Squanch Games were to somehow pull through in the event that Roiland is found guilty or is asked to step down after the controversy ends, it will likely have also an identity crisis. As it stands, Squanch Games' past releases share quite a bit of DNA in terms of humor and art style with Roiland's own work. It would likely be controversial for the studio to continue using Roiland's style after his hypothetical conviction, meaning that Squanch Games would have to adapt and create its own style, even if that means forsaking the one thing that made the studio popular and recognizable in the first place. As such, the end result would likely be a loss of identity.
In the event that Roiland is found innocent, Squanch Games may still find itself on the losing end, as not everyone can be convinced with a court ruling. The bitter taste of a controversy as serious as this might find some reeling and wary of Justin Roiland. Many might find themselves not as eager to support future Squanch Games products as they were before. For example, High on Life just tries to be fun, but players might not be amused to the same degree even in the event that Roiland is found innocent.
One of the most concerning issues pertains to the future of Squanch Games' employees, which counts dozens of workers. If the company were to go down as a result of the controversy, they would likely just lose their jobs. While Roiland is only being charged and has not been convicted at this time, he was ordered to attend a pretrial hearing on April 27, and the actual trial might follow shortly. Regardless of the possible twists and turns, it is likely that Squanch Games might have its hands full.
High on Life is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.