"We're back, baby!": Hi-Fi Rush and Tango Gameworks have been resurrected by PUBG publisher Krafton, with 50 transferred developers now working on Hi-Fi Rush 2
Microsoft still owns The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo
Hi-Fi Rush is officially back on the menu as PUBG publisher Krafton has resurrected the studio, and its creative director has a very simple message for fans: "We're back, baby!"
Krafton just announced it's struck a "strategic" deal with Microsoft, one that effectively sees it purchasing both Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP from the company. So, after being shockingly shuttered by Microsoft just earlier this year in May, Tango is all of a sudden alive and kicking again, and is continuing to work on Hi-Fi Rush - in a statement, Krafton said that it had re-hired around 50 staff, and that those developers would "continue to work on new projects, including Hi-Fi Rush 2."
Creative director John Johanas, who helmed The Evil Within's DLC, The Evil Within 2, and Hi-Fi Rush at Tango, had the message for fans below, following up on his message of "So this is how it ends…" back in May when Microsoft shuttered Tango. "...and this is how it continues. We're back, baby!" Johanas wrote to followers in the small hours of today, August 12.
…and this is how it continues.We’re back, baby! https://t.co/rUWfNQ0Wb6August 12, 2024
Johanas also retweeted the tweet seen just below, which is a way funnier method of announcing that your studio and its most recent game has been resurrected in the wake of being completely shut down.
https://t.co/3V1J3waf8t pic.twitter.com/hkxoEsIvRDAugust 12, 2024
The only aspects of Tango Gameworks that Krafton hasn't picked up as part of the deal are The Evil Within, its DLCs, and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Krafton notes in a press release that Tango's back-catalog of games won't be impacted whatsoever by the acquisition, so you can still pick up all of Tango's games on all platforms.
What still stands out to me about Hi-Fi Rush isn't the bombastic music, but the quiet anger.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.