About half of the 100 employees of Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, which was shut down by Microsoft, are being brought over by PUBG publisher Krafton.
Reporter Stephen Totilo stated on X/Twitter that he was informed by Krafton PR that Tango Gameworks “plans to relocate roughly 50 development workers to Krafton’s Japan division.” The expansion of the HI-FI RUSH IP at Krafton is one of the new initiatives that the transferred crew will continue to work on.”
When Krafton revealed that it had acquired the studio from Microsoft earlier in August 2024, the studio and the Hi-Fi Rush franchise were spared. Back then, it stated, “Krafton plans to cooperate with Xbox and ZeniMax to guarantee a seamless transfer and preserve continuity at Tango Gameworks, enabling the skilled team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore other projects.”
Since the studio’s closing was announced three months earlier in May 2024, it is probable that the remaining 50 employees already found employment elsewhere. The reason behind their decision to not join Krafton is unknown.
At the same time, Microsoft fired Redfall developer Arkane Austin, a decision that infuriated and shocked both the community and the developers.
HelloFi According to Microsoft executive Aaron Greenberg, Rush had been declared “a breakout hit for [Xbox] and [its] gamers in all major measurements and expectations,” but the studio that had made it only a year before was still closed.
Krafton recently revealed that it has reached a “strategic” agreement with Microsoft, whereby the latter will effectively sell Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush intellectual property to Krafton. Tango, which was unexpectedly shut down by Microsoft in May of this year, has since reopened and is still working on Hi-Fi Rush. According to a statement from Krafton, the company has rehired about 50 developers, who will “continue to work on new projects, including Hi-Fi Rush 2.”
