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Krafton, the South Korean publisher known for popular titles such as PUBG, has announced its acquisition of Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush, from Microsoft.
This comes as a relief to many fans and industry insiders, as Microsoft had announced plans to shut down Tango Gameworks along with other studios under the Bethesda umbrella.
Tango Gameworks, founded by renowned game developer Shinji Mikami after his departure from Capcom, has a reputation for creating fan-beloved games.
Their portfolio includes:
- The Evil Within,
- The Evil Within 2,
- Ghostwire: Tokyo,
- Hi-Fi Rush.
The latest, featuring a blend of musical rhythm mechanics and action combat, quickly became a fan favorite and garnered multiple accolades, including Best Animation and Best Audio Design at The Game Awards 2023.
The closure announcement by Microsoft, which also affected studios like Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games, sparked a significant backlash from both fans and developers.
Microsoft had previously highlighted Hi-Fi Rush as a successful title within its catalog, making the decision to shut down the studio even more puzzling to many. In response to the news, fans of Hi-Fi Rush rallied in support of the game and its developers, expressing their disappointment with Microsoft’s decision.
This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.
— Dinga Bakaba 451 (@DBakaba) May 7, 2024
Krafton Interested in Japanese Gaming
Krafton’s acquisition of Tango Gameworks marks the company’s first significant venture into the Japanese gaming industry.
In its official statement, Krafton emphasized its commitment to ensuring a smooth transition for the Tango Gameworks team. The company plans to work closely with Microsoft to facilitate this process, allow the developers to continue working on Hi-Fi Rush, and potentially explore future projects.
Krafton also assured that there would be no impact on the existing Tango Gameworks catalog, including titles like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo, which will remain available on their current platforms.
Industry commentators have largely welcomed Krafton’s move, viewing it as a positive step that ensures the continued operation of a beloved studio and its creative team.
It's not JUST that they bought Tango Gameworks and are revitalizing Hi-Fi RUSH, but ALSO that they rehired all the employees that were laid off.
In an industry that's currently bleeding employees with mass layoffs every other week, this is a huge deal. https://t.co/ndRwSNDLCz— 🐺 Wolf Nanaki 🏳️⚧️ (@wolfnanaki) August 12, 2024
With Krafton at the helm, Tango Gameworks’ future looks promising, and fans eagerly await the studio’s next moves under its new ownership.In other gaming news, Santa Monica Studio, the developer behind the God of War series, has recently started working on a new intellectual property.
