Beneath the cloud of studio closures and layoffs, there is sunshine in the games business. After being closed By Microsoft in May Hi-Fi Rush studio acquired by Tango Gameworks PUBG: Battlegrounds developer Crafton.
“Krafton is committed to working with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and ensure continuity at Tango Gameworks while allowing the talented team to continue developing their games. Hi-Fi Rush Explore IP and future projects,” Crafton wrote press release noted by Polygon.
After acquiring ZeniMax for $7.5 billion in 2021, Microsoft closed three of its studios, Arkane Austin, Tokyo-based Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios. It was behind several notable titles, including Tango The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and a rhythm-based brawler Hi-Fi Rush. The latter debuted exclusively on Xbox Series X and PC in 2023, and recently arrived on PS5. March this year.
Crafton said the acquisition will not affect existing Tango games The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush.
Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 Resident Evil 4 game director Shinji Mikami and first made a name for himself with horror titles The Evil Within. Hi-Fi Rush was a significant departure and became a critical hit with a 10 out of 10 Steam accounts thanks to the fluid, attractive gameplay and unique graphic style.
