After being shut down by Microsoft and ZeniMax Media in May, Tango Gameworks has been saved by Krafton.
The publisher behind PUBG: Battlegrounds has acquired Tango which is the studio responsible for The Evil Within games and Hi-Fi RUSH.
The announcement was made on Monday (August 12) through a Krafton press release. They say they have today “welcomed the talented people of Tango Gameworks to their team, marking an exciting moment in the company’s global expansion and its first significant investment in the Japanese video game market.”
The strategic move includes the rights to the IP, Hi-Fi RUSH. This is the flagship title for the studio and is a well-loved action combat game that has seen huge success worldwide.
There will be no impact on the existing game catalog of The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the original Hi-Fi RUSH game.
As part of the agreement, Krafton says they intend “to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore future projects.”
Microsoft closed Tango Gameworks and three other studios in May
It was in 2021 when the studio became part of Xbox, but it was on the chopping block this May along with three other game studios.
Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games were all closed suddenly by Microsoft. At IGN Live, in June 2024, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer explained how this was a hard decision to make.
“I haven’t been talking publicly about this, because right now is the time for us to focus on the team and the individuals. It’s obviously a decision that’s very hard on them, and I want to make sure through severance and other things that we’re doing the right thing for the individuals on the team. It’s not about my PR, it’s not about Xbox PR. It’s about those teams.
“In the end, I’ve said over and over, I have to run a sustainable business inside the company and grow, and that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.
“We will continue to go forward. We will continue to invest in what we’re trying to go do in Xbox and build the best business we can, which ensures we can continue to do shows like the one we just did.”
Featured Image: Via Deviant Art
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