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Back in May, Microsoft inexplicably announced the shuttering of beloved Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks, a mere few months after winning a handful of end-of-year awards. Predictably enough, this decision immediately prompted criticism from fans and professionals alike, as the rhythmic beat ’em up’s roaring success should have translated to more longevity, support, and possibly even a sequel.
Now, Microsoft’s decision to close down Tango Gameworks becomes even more baffling after the company, along with Activision, created a splinter team focused on AA production, which the Hi-Fi Rush developer would have been a perfect fit for. However, according to a report from WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden, its location in Japan wasn’t ideal since it made “inter-studio collaboration logistically difficult.” Unfortunately, this made Tango Gameworks particularly vulnerable, especially with the industry’s current volatile landscape.
Corden also noted that the as-yet-unnamed team will mostly be comprised of developers from King, a studio known for specializing in mobile games like Candy Crush. “Microsoft and Activision’s new team with Blizzard is tasked to work on ‘AA’ smaller games based on existing franchises within the Blizzard universes,” he added. It’s currently unclear, though, whether the new dev team will be focusing on mobile-exclusive titles or multi-platform games with a bigger focus on iOS and Android ports.
Since Microsoft and Activision’s new AA-focused splinter team was only recently announced, only time will tell if the creations they make can live up to its parent companies’ lofty expectations. Hopefully, though, this project gets more backing than Tango Gameworks did despite Hi-Fi Rush’s massive success.
For more industry news, check out our other stories, like Konami allegedly working on a new Silent Hill game or the latest Zenless Zone Zero beta leaks. Alternatively, if you haven’t played through Tango Gameworks’ rhythmic action game, take a look at our guide on how to get S-Rank in every fight in Hi-Fi Rush.
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