Shock and Anger as Xbox Shuts Down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and More

07.05.2024 - 18:01 / ign.com / Tango Gameworks / Arkane Lyon / Dinga Bakaba

The video game industry has reacted with shock and anger after Microsoft shut down several game studios today, May 7, 2024 including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the developers of Redfall and Hi-Fi Rush respectively.

Both developers and fans have shared their disappointment at the closures, announced to staff via email on the morning of May 7, 2024. Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booy told employees of the studios, which joined Microsoft under Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, the cuts were a result of the "reprioritization of titles and resources."

"This is absolutely terrible," wrote Arkane Lyon director Dinga Bakaba on X/Twitter, whose studio survived the closures and will continue working on Marvel's Blade. "To any executive reading this: friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment and cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists and entertainers and help them create value for you."

This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.

"Don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations or blind spots, don't make our work environments Darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we've seen it before.

"For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes, again, and it's a f**king gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, and respect affected folks' voice and leave it room to be heard, it's their story to tell, their feelings to express."

Several other developers weighed in on the closures too, which also affect mobile game developer Alpha Dog Games. It's unclear how many staff have lost their jobs across the three studios, but Microsoft, currently valued at more than $3 trillion, declined to expand further when contacted by IGN.

"Arkane Austin and Tango being shut down is the biggest let down from the Microsoft acquisitions," wrote Anthony Panecasio, level design team lead on Splinter Cell Remake at Ubisoft Toronto, on LinkedIn. "They were making exciting new IP, even if they were rough around the edges. I played both Redfall and Ghostwire: Tokyo to completion when they launched and still have fond memories of them."

Sebastien Mitton, co-creative director at Arkane Lyon, called the closures a "very, very bad wake up call" on X/Twitter. "A thought for our brothers and sisters in Texas, Canada, and Japan who are going through a very difficult time. Our hearts go out to all of you in this