Hi-Fi Rush and developer Tango Gameworks acquired by PUBG’s Krafton

Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks has averted closure after KRAFTON, Inc. purchased the studio and the aforementioned IP from Microsoft.

Announced in a Krafton press release, the PUBG publisher said it “welcomed the talented people of Tango Gameworks to their team,” after an acquisition that would “include the rights to Tango Gameworks’ acclaimed IP, Hi-Fi RUSH.”

Notably missing from the acquisition are the IPs of the studio’s previous works, Ghostwire: Tokyo and The Evil Within, which Microsoft will continue to retain at this time.

Established in 2010 by industry veteran Shinji Mikami, Tango Gameworks is no stranger to new ownership, as it was purchased by Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, that same year. In 2021, it came under new ownership again following Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax. A sequel to Hi-Fi Rush was in the planning stages prior to – and possibly contributing to – the announcement in May that Tango would be among four studios slated to shut down.

With Krafton’s commitment to “maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore future projects,” it appears that the studio has been granted a second chance to resume work on this follow-up title.

Although studio founder Shinji Mikami left in 2023, the creative director at Tango Gameworks, John Johanas, confirmed in a post on X/Twitter that he would remain at the studio, stating, “We’re back, baby!”

Although it’s unclear how many other previous staff members will return to the company, Krafton stated that they “[intend] to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans.”

No news was shared on whether the upcoming physical release of Hi-Fi Rush via Limited Run Games will be affected by this transaction, but it does not appear likely as the press release stated that “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.”

While this is an uplifting turn for the nearly-defunct studio, it is worth noting that Krafton’s is not without its own track record of layoffs, with 32 staff let go from Striking Distance Studios last year after its debut title, The Calisto Protocol, fell short of sales expectations. Regardless, this is undeniably a more ideal outcome for the company than anybody could have expected, with renewed opportunity under new ownership.

This surprising turn of events offers a faint glimmer of hope to the desperate fools like myself still holding out for the Tango team to conjure up The Evil Within 3 someday. If Toys for Bob can partner with Microsoft for a new game after separating from them earlier in the year, what’s stopping Tango from collaborating with Microsoft on another Evil Within title in the future?