Following the disappointing closure of Tango Gameworks, the head of Xbox Game Studios provides more insight into Xbox’s decision to cut the studio.
Xbox’s Matt Booty divulges some of the thinking that went into the heartbreaking decision to shut down Tango Gameworks alongside three other Bethesda studios in May. As Xbox’s sole first-party Japanese studio, Tango was best known for its Evil Within survival horror franchise Tango’s first-person action horror Ghostwire: Tokyo released as a timed PS5 exclusive before coming to Xbox a year later. Most recently, Tango surprise dropped Hi-Fi Rush in early 2023 to high praise.
Just last month, Xbox announced its closure of four Bethesda studios, causing a storm of outrage and confusion among the Xbox community. Redfall developer Arkane Austin, mobile developer Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Studios were all disappointingly shuttered; most puzzling was the closure of Tango Gameworks, which had delivered the near universally praised cartoon-styled rhythm action game, Hi-Fi Rush, only 16 months prior. Xbox’s dissolution of Tango Gameworks sent shockwaves throughout the industry, sending the message that studios could be hit with layoffs and closures even after releasing successful and beloved games.
