Krafton Purchases Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush IP
Tango and Hi-Fi Rush will live on after all.
In a shocking move, developer Tango Gameworks and its IP Hi-Fi Rush have today been purchased by Krafton, the company most notably behind the battle royale shooter PUBG. Earlier this year, Microsoft made the divisive decision to close Tango Gameworks and in the process kill off any potential future for Hi-Fi Rush, which the studio released in 2023 to much acclaim. Now, rather than keep the studio closed in perpetuity, Microsoft has instead opted to sell the developer to Krafton where it will now look to double down on the Hi-Fi Rush franchise.
In a new press release, Krafton announced that it has purchased Tango from Microsoft and Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media. With the purchase, Krafton also acquires the rights to Hi-Fi Rush which it says it will now look to expand upon with "future projects." As for Tango's other major franchises in The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo, it seems as though they will remain in the hands of Microsoft.
"Krafton Inc today welcomed the talented people of Tango Gameworks to their team, marking a exciting moment in the company's global expansion and its first significant investment in the Japanese video game market. This strategic move will include the rights to Tango Gameworks' acclaimed IP, Hi-Fi Rush," Krafton announced. "As part of this strategic agreement, Krafton intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects. Krafton intends to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans."
To say that this decision by Krafton to revive Tango Gameworks is surprising would be putting it lightly. By all accounts, it seemed as though Tango was already dead and gone as the studio's final day of operation had already come to pass a few months back. To see that Tango is now back and is bringing with it Hi-Fi Rush is phenomenal news, especially for those who hoped to see Hi-Fi Rush 2 come about. Whether or not a proper sequel to Hi-Fi Rush ends up coming about any time soon isn't yet known, but we should learn more on this front in the weeks and months ahead.
