“We’re back, baby!”: PUBG owner will save Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush from Microsoft

The story of Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush, Ghostwire: Tokyo, The Evil Within dilogy) closed by Microsoft management in May received an unexpected continuation. The Japanese studio will be saved.

Image source: Steam (Angellias)

South Korean publisher and developer Krafton (PUBG: Battlegrounds, The Callisto Protocol) has announced the revival of Tango Gameworks. The company acquired the studio itself and the rights to the Hi-Fi Rush franchise.

As part of this “strategic agreement,” Krafton intends to allow Tango Gameworks to further develop the Hi-Fi Rush franchise (there has been talk of a sequel) and experiment with other projects.

Krafton calls the deal its first major investment in the Japanese video game market (image source: Krafton)

According to Krafton, the integration is part of its efforts to expand its global presence and strengthen its portfolio, and also reflects the publisher’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of interactive entertainment.

Krafton and Microsoft (in response to a media request) emphasize that the announcement will not affect the catalog of existing Tango Gameworks games in any way. The American platform holder remains the owner of the rights to The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Image source: Windows Central

Time will tell what exactly the revival of Tango Gameworks will lead to, but for now Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas is just glad the studio got a second chance. “We’re back, baby!” – he wrote on his microblog.

Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Resident Evil co-creator Shinji Mikami, and became part of Xbox in 2021. Mikami subsequently left the studio, which could have been one of the reasons for its closure.