Hi-Fi Rush is set for its final patch later today, May 15, amid the closure of its developer Tango Gameworks.
Xbox Shuts Down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and a Couple More Bethesda Softworks Studios
07.05.2024 - 16:51 / wccftech.com / Matt Booty / Alessio Palumbo
Microsoft's Xbox division has decided to shut down four Bethesda Softworks studios, the most prominent being Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.
Arkane Austin was essentially one and the same with Arkane Lyon up until Dishonored 2, which was the first game to be developed specifically by the French office. Austin then delivered Prey, which attracted controversy ahead of its release because it appropriated the name of the 2006 cult game by Human Head Studios and also forced a name change on an indie game. On the other hand, Prey was an absolutely fantastic game that received high critical praise upon release, albeit without a big commercial success (though that's always been a trademark of Arkane).
Related Story Deathloop Director Says Arkane Austin Closure a “F**king Gut Stab,” Redfall Development Done
However, Arkane Austin famously blundered the release of Redfall. Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty and Bethesda's Pete Hines had promised the studio would improve the game over time, but despite a few patches, owners of the Bite Back Edition never received the two additional heroes that were supposed to be released as part of the included Redfall Hero Pass. Now, it is likely they never will, though Microsoft has promised 'make-good offers' for those who own the DLC.
As for Tango Gameworks, its closure is arguably even more baffling. The Japanese studio founded in 2010 by industry legend Shinji Mikami released acclaimed games like the two The Evil Within survival horror titles, Ghostwire: Tokyo and, most recently, Hi-Fi Rush, which became something of a surprise hit among hardcore gamers. Granted, none of these games ever set the sales charts on fire, but this was also the only Japanese studio owned by Microsoft, and it's now gone.
The other two studios are Alpha Dog Games (also known as ZeniMax Halifax), the mobile developer behind the game The Mighty Doom, and Roundhouse Studios. The latter studio was actually born out of Human Head Studios in late 2019. According to a letter penned by Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty (via IGN), Roundhouse has been acting in a support role for a while and will be absorbed by ZeniMax Online to work on The Elder Scrolls Online.
In the letter, Booty admits this isn't ideal but adds that this consolidation will allow Xbox to 'invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP'. As a reminder, Microsoft acquired Bethesda for around $7.5 billion a few years ago. Earlier this year, Microsoft ordered massive layoffs of around 1900 employees across its gaming division, mostly aimed at the most recent acquisition, Activision Blizzard.
While flourishing in other areas, Microsoft still seeks to optimize its gaming business after massive investments to acquire various studios.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
ign.com
14.05.2024 / 14:51
Success Can't Save Your Favorite Game Studios Anymore
This week, Microsoft and Bethesda announced that they would be closing down multiple game development studios under their umbrella. These include Alpha Dog Games, maker of Mighty Doom, and Arkane Austin, developer of the disastrous Redfall among others. In the gaming industry, the conventional wisdom has long been held that bad games sink you and great games save you, which would lead many to drawing an unfortunate line between Redfall’s reception and Arkane Austin’s closure — but immediately stops supporting that conclusion when you get to Tango Gameworks.
wccftech.com
14.05.2024 / 12:57
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Pricing and Season Pass/DLC Plan Have Leaked
Following the release date leak, Assassin's Creed Shadows also got its pricing and season pass/DLC plan leaked, although through another source.
wccftech.com
13.05.2024 / 11:19
Square Enix Unveils New Business Plan with Aggressive Multiplatform Strategy and Quality Over Quantity Focus
Today, Square Enix reported financial results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31. The results weren't great, as the Japanese publisher narrowly missed the revenue target and majorly missed the operating income target, with the latter also down 26.6% compared to last year.
techradar.com
10.05.2024 / 23:07
Xbox Game Studios head says Microsoft needs 'smaller games that give us prestige and awards' one day after shutting down Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks
Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has reportedly said Microsoft needs smaller games that will earn it «prestige and awards» a day after shutting down Tango Gameworks.
wccftech.com
10.05.2024 / 09:26
CAPCOM Registers New Record of Net Sales and Seventh Consecutive Year of Record Profits
CAPCOM's yearly financial report has been released, showing that the Japanese company has registered a new record of $979 million when it comes to net sales. It's a major increase (21%) year-over-year, and it also comes with a boost in operating income ($366 million, up 12.3% compared to last year) and ordinary income ($381 million, up 15.7% year-over-year).
gamerant.com
09.05.2024 / 18:31
Dishonored and Hi-Fi Rush Sequels Pitched Before Studio Closures
Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks were reportedly in the process of pitching sequels to Dishonored and Hi-Fi Rush before Xbox’s sudden closure of their studios on Tuesday. This news comes after learning more details surrounding the shutdown of three ZeniMax Media subsidiary studios, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks prominently among them.
thesixthaxis.com
09.05.2024 / 13:29
Xbox exec tells staff they want more smaller games just like Hi-Fi Rush, one day after closing its studio
In one of the most double-think statements ever made outside of George Orwell’s 1984, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has told employees that “We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” just one day after closing down the game studio that was responsible for the prestigious award-winning game, Hi-Fi Rush.
gadgets.ndtv.com
09.05.2024 / 11:59
Microsoft’s Xbox Is Planning More Cuts After Closing Down Bethesda Studios
The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft's Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn't finished.
rockpapershotgun.com
09.05.2024 / 11:15
More Xbox studio cuts likely to follow Tango and Arkane Austin, and Game Pass looks like the culprit
Like us, you’re probably still reeling from Tuesday’s news that Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango and Prey’s Arkane Austin are getting shuttered by Microsoft. According to Bloomberg, these closures were just a part of a “widespread cost-cutting initiative” that’s still underway. All signs point towards more cuts to come, basically. ZeniMax studios seem to be the main target.
videogameschronicle.com
09.05.2024 / 09:57
Xbox studios boss says it needs smaller, award-winning games one day after closing Tango Gameworks
One day after closing Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, Xbox studios boss Matt Booty reportedly told staff the company needs “smaller games that give us prestige and awards”.
wccftech.com
09.05.2024 / 05:31
Arkane Austin Studio Director Gives Emotional Goodbye to Colleagues, Wonders about the ‘Sweet Spot’ Team Size
Arkane Austin is officially no more, and Studio Director Harvey Smith, who has worked at Arkane for over sixteen years, shared all his emotions in a long and heartfelt thread on Twitter/X. Over the course of his 30-plus-year-long career in the industry, Smith was a lead designer at Ion Storm on Deus Ex, a director on Deus Ex: Invisible War, and a designer on Thief: Deadly Shadows. After a brief stint at Midway, he joined Arkane to be a creative director, designer, and writer on the first Dishonored.