Saints Row modder and community developer Mike Watson, known by his alias IdolNinja, has passed away according to Volition employee and Archetype Entertainment lead gameplay designer Ryan McCabe.
"One of my Volition besties, Mike Watson, passed this morning after battling cancer for well over a year," McCabe stated. "He'd known for some time that it was a battle he was ultimately going to lose, so many of us did as well. That doesn't make you ready for it.
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"Mike was one of the best of us, and the world is no doubt darker without him in it. His passion was palpable and infectious for everything he loved. From comics to movies to games to Saints Row… and for as much as he loved them, it was always clear more than anything, he loved his friends even more."
You might know of Watson for his work. He created Gentleman of the Row, a large-scope project that sought to remedy many of Saints Row 2's PC port issues. He also created Sandbox+ for Saints Row: The Third while helping with the mod Things To Do In Steelport.
Initially, Watson's death was reported by a Volition employee on Twitter, but this thread was met with angry comments about the reboot from fans, and so it was taken down. You can find a report now on Resetera through McCabe's sharing of his own Facebook post.
"Love you Mike," McCabe wrote. "Wherever you are."