Squanch Games

Squanch Games is an American video game developer and publisher based in Burbank, California, founded on August 25, 2016, by Justin Roiland and Tanya Watson under the original name Squanchtendo, renamed Squanch Games in 2017. The studio is known for comedic first-person games with an absurdist science fiction sensibility, and its biggest commercial success is High on Life, which launched as the most-played title on Xbox Game Pass in the week of its December 2022 release. Justin Roiland resigned from the studio on January 16, 2023, and is not involved in the studio’s ongoing work. High on Life 2 released on February 13, 2026.

Founding and Early Games

Justin Roiland co-founded Squanch Games with Tanya Watson, a former Epic Games executive, in August 2016 while simultaneously working as co-creator of Rick and Morty for Adult Swim. The studio’s first release, Accounting+, was a VR comedy game released in 2016 for Windows and PlayStation 4. Dr. Splorchy Presents: Space Heroes followed for Google Daydream in 2018. Trover Saves the Universe in 2019 was the studio’s first major release, a third-person comedy action game with Roiland’s voice and writing style as the central creative force, available across Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Oculus Quest.

High on Life (2022)

High on Life launched on December 13, 2022, for Windows and Xbox platforms, with PlayStation versions following on July 22, 2023, and Nintendo Switch on May 6, 2025. The first-person shooter is built around a cast of talking alien guns, each with distinct personalities and commentary that runs throughout the game, with Roiland voicing several characters including one of the primary weapons. High on Life became the most-played title on Xbox Game Pass in the week of its release and sold well on Steam alongside its subscription performance, establishing Squanch Games as a commercially viable independent studio capable of releasing a full-scale AAA-adjacent game.

Justin Roiland’s Departure

In January 2023, felony domestic violence charges against Justin Roiland became public following a report from NBC News. Adult Swim cut ties with Roiland the same week, and Squanch Games received his resignation on January 16, 2023. The Orange County District Attorney’s office subsequently dropped the charges due to lack of evidence, but Roiland had already departed the studio. Squanch Games confirmed it would continue developing games and supporting High on Life following his resignation. Roiland is not involved in High on Life 2 or any other Squanch Games projects.

High on Life 2 (2026)

High on Life 2 released on February 13, 2026, for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version following on July 1, 2026. Directed by Mikey Spano and composed by Tobacco, the sequel was built in Unreal Engine 5. The addition of skateboarding mechanics was among the features announced ahead of release. High on Life 2 represents the studio’s first major release developed entirely without Justin Roiland’s involvement.