Publisher Krafton Has Acquired Tango Gameworks, Saving The Hi-Fi Rush Developer From Its Microsoft-Inflicted Death

Publisher Krafton has announced that it has acquired Tango Gameworks alongside the rights to the studio’s smash hit, Hi-Fi- Rush.

Good gravy, some actual good news, for once. The South Korean publisher released a statement on its website today confirming the acquisition.

“KRAFTON, Inc. 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. This strategic move will include the rights to Tango Gameworks’ acclaimed IP, Hi-Fi RUSH.”

Almost three months ago to the day, Microsoft “reprioritised” three Bethesda studios, which, when you dust off the bullshit corporate jargon, meant that Tango Gameworks was being closed along with Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Studio. The studio is known for creating The Evil Within, and its sequel, as well as Ghostwire: Tokyo, but the team’s true critical success came with the release of its rhythm-based action-adventure title, Hi-Fi Rush.

Shadow dropping during the Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct in 2023, Hi-Fi Rush went on to find critical success, sitting on an 87 on Metacritic and bagging the award for Best Audio Design during The Game Awards 2023. Originally released on Xbox Series X|S and PC, the popularity of Tango’s musical melee game even saw it among the first four first-party Xbox titles to branch out onto the PS5.

With all of this success and good press, you might be wondering why Microsoft decided to axe this studio that had just spawned a new IP with huge potential. Well, we didn’t have a clear answer for you then, and we don’t really have one now. The announcement of Tango’s closure was devastating and confusing in equal measure, which is why this acquisition elicits such a sigh of relief.

The statement goes on to clarify exactly what this partnership will look like. “KRAFTON intends 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.” the statement continues, “There will be no impact on the existing game catalogue of The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the original Hi-Fi RUSH game.”

So, while the studio’s prior output will remain with Xbox, ZeniMax and their raft of ‘wonderful ideas’, Krafton has enabled Tango to work on games within the Hi-Fi Rush IP.

Now that Krafton has dug Tango Gameworks out of the shallow grave that Microsoft put it in, the hope is that its next game is an absolute mega-banger so the team can show their former owners what they’re missing out on.

Now that we can look forward to more Hi-Fi Rush, where would you like the series to go next? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.