Hi-Fi Rush receives a "final patch" after Xbox closed the studio while physical editions are still incoming
Microsoft closed developer Tango Gameworks just last week
Hi-Fi Rush has received one "final patch" to address some lingering issues.
Microsoft shut down developer Tango Gameworks alongside three other studios last week, but the team's beloved rhythm action still got another patch earlier today, presumably from a skeleton crew left over from Tango's staff.
"Thank you for your continued support," an announcement tweet reads. "We're working to release the physical edition of Hi-Fi Rush with our partners at Limited Run Games, as well as a final patch to address some minor issues releasing later today."
The game's very last update fixes about a dozen bugs across every platform, while also adjusting vending machine prices to "reflect local currency conversion," which is just another reflection of the team's endless attention to detail. You can read the full patch notes here.
But several comments left under the announcement post had questions about the game's music licenses. Hi-Fi Rush's boss battle spectacles thump along to ten remixed tracks from artists like The Black Keys and Nine Inch Nails, and many have speculated that once those licenses expire, the game may be removed from digital storefronts, as Microsoft's older Forza games have been.
Hi-Fi Rush also includes a Streamer Mode featuring original beats that could feasibly replace the licensed songs when the time comes, but without Tango Gameworks existing, there's no guarantee that that will happen. To Microsoft's credit, though, the company did work to return both Alan Wake and Quantum Break to storefronts after their music licenses expired, though those games' original studio Remedy is still kicking.
Hi-Fi Rush fans mourned the studio's closing by celebrating the game's one-of-a-kind achievements. Questionable statements from Xbox executives also attracted fierce backlash, with Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty claiming the company needs "smaller games that give us prestige and award" - AKA games like Hi-Fi Rush. Tango Gameworks was reportedly "in the process of pitching a sequel" before its closure.
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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.