'He would be very proud': Edmonton developer's videogame completed after death

XGen Studios’ completion of The Low Road demonstrated the resilience of one of Edmonton’s longstanding independent game developers following the death of founder Skye Boyes in 2015. Boyes had founded XGen in Edmonton in 2001 at age 19, later producing games including Stick RPG, Super Motherload and Defend Your Castle and building an international following. After inheriting the studio and its unfinished project, Kaelyn Boyes stepped into a leadership role despite having no game-development experience. She worked with XGen’s existing team to continue Skye’s vision, ultimately releasing The Low Road in July 2017. The transition preserved an Edmonton studio with roots extending back to the early era of browser-based independent games while demonstrating the importance of leadership continuity and a committed local development team. Completing the project also allowed XGen to continue Skye Boyes’ legacy of supporting and mentoring others within the game industry.