High on Life is becoming a scripted podcast

2022's sci-fi shooter High on Life is getting a second life as a scripted podcast. Per Deadline, the Squanch Games-developed title will be brought to audio format through IGN and scripted podcast producer Realm, best known for audio stories based on DC Comics characters like Harley Quinn and the Riddler. 

High on Life will be the first collaboration between the two companies, which Realm CEO Molly Barton called "an organic extension of our commitment to fan-first storytelling. As we continue finding new ways to delight our passionate audiences...we believe in the extensive creative and business potential of this mutually beneficial relationship.”

Games and scripted audio series

Video games are no stranger to the podcast space, with tie-in series like Halo 5's Hunt the Truth or a scripted endeavor like Dead Space: Deep Cover from earlier this year. It's all part of the larger transmedia effort that sees games jumping over to other mediums like comics, TV shows, and film.

Beyond this year's shows and films like The Last of Us and Castlevania: Nocturne, the most recent piece of transmedia would be the interactive show Silent Hill: Ascension. While not completely the same, the live-action segments of Remedy's Alan Wake II offer a different kind of transmedia experience.

Originally meant as a Google Stadia exclusive, High on Life launched on Xbox Game Pass in late 2022 and became the subscription service's most popular title. While not an Xbox exclusive, it was a feather in Microsoft's cap since its first-party lineup that year basically amounted to just Obsidian Entertainment's Pentiment. 

The big selling point for High on Life was its arsenal of talking guns with a voice cast led by Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. Earlier this year, Roiland was dropped from his various projects and exited Squanch following allegations and charges of domestic violence dating back to 2020. 

Those charges were later dismissed, though allegations regarding sexual assault (some dating back to 2013) were reported months later. By this point, Roiland's High on Life character Kenny was written out of the story expansion, and he'd been replaced from Rick & Morty by new actors Ian Cardoni (Rick) and Harry Belden (Morty).