High on Life 2 Arrives With a Controversial Jeffrey Epstein Joke Right Out of the Gate
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
High on Life 2 launches this week with a controversial Jeffrey Epstein joke in its opening minutes, landing a timely reference despite years of game development.
Squanch Games is back with High on Life 2, and the sequel wastes zero time diving into the specific brand of edgy humor that defined the original release. According to a report by Polygon, the sci-fi shooter features a joke referencing Jeffrey Epstein within its first five minutes. During an opening tutorial sequence where players dispatch past bounties, one human trafficker attempts to downplay his crimes by claiming he is not as bad as Epstein. The game also layers in a crypto rug pull joke, keeping pace with contemporary digital culture.
It is rare for topical humor to land cleanly in video games given the multi-year development cycles involved. Most cultural references feel stale or outdated by the time a title finally hits storefronts. However, the ongoing public discourse surrounding the Epstein files has kept the subject stubbornly relevant since the first game launched in 2022. Recent political developments, including congressional reviews of unredacted Department of Justice files, have ensured that the reference remains painfully current rather than aging out of relevance before launch.
For players jumping into the sequel across PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, the moment serves as an early indicator of the tone to expect. Squanch Games continues to lean heavily into shock value and real world satire alongside its core action loop of bounty hunting and talking weapons. While the joke is bound to divide the community, it highlights the peculiar challenge of writing comedy in an interactive medium where real world news cycles move faster than production pipelines.
Tags: High on Life 2, Squanch Games, Polygon, Gaming News, Industry
Original article: Polygon