Krafton, the publisher behind PUBG: Battlegrounds And The Callisto Protocolhas acquired Tango Gameworks, the studio responsible for the games The Evil Within and Hi-Fi rush. Tango was shuttered by Microsoft and ZeniMax Media in May, but the talent that formed the Tokyo-based studio will be integrated into Krafton, which now owns the rights to Hi-Fi rush.
In a press releaseKrafton said it “plans to work with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks so the talented team can continue development of the game. Hi-Fi rush IP and explore future projects.” Krafton added that it “intends to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and deliver fresh and exciting experiences for fans.”
Microsoft’s move to Krafton will not affect Tango’s existing game catalog, which includes: The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyoand the original Hi-Fi rushaccording to the publisher. Hi-Fi rush is available on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Shinji Mikami. The studio’s first release, The Evil Withinwas a survival horror game in the style of Mikami’s work at Capcom, where he oversaw survival horror games Resident Evil, Dino crisisAnd Resident Evil 4 as game director. Tango Gameworks became part of Xbox’s stable of studios when ZeniMax was acquired by Microsoft in 2021. Mikami left Tango in 2023.
The studio achieved great critical success with Hi-Fi rush in 2023. The rhythm-action game was released surprisingly through Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription and was a marked departure from the dark and violent games that Tango Gameworks had become known for.
Krafton’s announcement comes just days after former developers at Arkane Austin, which worked on games, Prey And Dishonoredannounced a new first-person action-RPG from his Wolfeye Studio.
Microsoft announced in May that it planned to close three studios under the Bethesda Softworks banner: Redfall developer Arkane Austin, Mighty Downfall developer Alpha Dog Studios and Tango Gameworks. A fourth studio, Roundhouse Games, had its staff reassigned to other tasks.
