Hi-fi Rush is too good a game to be shut down

Earlier today it was announced that various Bethesda-owned studios will be shut down, including Tango Gameworks, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush. This has come as a huge surprise to players due to the popularity and praise the game has received, as well as that both Microsoft and Bethesda seem to be doing well, with Microsoft currently being valued at over $3 trillion. These closures will also likely mean significant layoffs, although Microsoft has yet to comment on how many people will lose their jobs because of this.

Tango Gameworks was founded by Shinji Mikami, who is best known to gamers as the creator of the Resident Evil series. Following his departure from Capcom he co-founded Platinum Games where he worked on Vanquish, before leaving to create Tango Gameworks.

Since founding Tango Gameworks, Mikami served as the Director for The Evil Within, and Executive Producer for The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush. He left the studio in 2023 and his future plans are currently unknown.

With Tango Gameworks now shut down, the future of the games previously mentioned is uncertain, but the biggest casualty is Hi-Fi Rush, which is too good of a game to never receive a sequel and just fade away to become a footnote in video game history. The good news is that Hi-Fi Rush will remain purchasable and playable, so at least Bethesda isn’t yeeting it from existence, which we’ve seen many times in the past. And, there is nothing to stop another studio from taking over and developing a sequel. But, Hi-Fi Rush only saw a release on PS5 in March 2024, which makes the decision to shut the studio down surprising.

Hi-Fi Rush scored an impressive 90% on Metacritic, receiving universal critical acclaim, although some criticized its repetitiveness and limited soundtrack, as well as reaching over 3 million players between purchases and Game Pass subscribers. The game was also nominated for various awards, and won awards including CEDEC’s Sound Award, The Game Awards’ Best Audio Design, Game Developer Choice Awards’ Best Audio, and others.

In addition to Tango Gameworks being shut down, Arkane Austin was also closed, which has ended the development of Redfall, although that game was dead on arrival and never gained the popularity it should have following its disappointing launch with mediocre graphics and gameplay. Players that purchased the Hero DLC will be rewarded with a to be announced compensation since the studio failed to deliver on all of the planned content. Alpha Dog Studios has also closed, which is best known for the mobile game Mighty DOOM, which will go offline on August 7th. Finally, Roundhouse Games will become part of ZeniMax Online Studios to work on The Elder Scrolls Online.