Shinji Mikami, the founder of Tango Gameworks, believed that the studio would remain safe from closure as long as they continued to create games like Hi-Fi Rush. In a recent interview, Mikami expressed his surprise when Microsoft decided to shut down the studio earlier this year. “I had thought the studio would be safe as long as they continued to make Hi-Fi Rush games,” Mikami said.
“That’s one of the reasons I left Tango Gameworks. So I was surprised when the studio was closed down.”
However, the story took a positive turn when Krafton, the publisher behind PUBG, acquired Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush intellectual property. This move led to the studio’s revival and the rehiring of around 50 staff members.
Tango studio closure surprises founder
Mikami sees this as a positive outcome, stating, “Now Krafton has taken over the business, so I feel like it worked out well in the end. I was reminded that if you make a good game, someone will pick it up.
The hard work of the Hi-Fi Rush development team led to a new chapter for the company.”
He also emphasized the importance of creating quality games for a studio’s survival. “I think that for a development studio, making a good game is more directly related to survival than making a popular game,” Mikami added. During the interview, Mikami was joined by Goichi Suda, the creator of No More Heroes and Killer7.
Suda, who collaborated with Mikami on Shadows Of The Damned, described Tango Gameworks’ closure as “a bolt from the blue.”
Mikami, best known for his work on the Resident Evil series and The Evil Within, had previously expressed his desire to move away from the survival horror genre, which may have influenced his decision to leave Tango Gameworks. While there is no official announcement regarding a sequel or follow-up to Hi-Fi Rush, Limited Run Games has confirmed that the original game will be available through their platform in the future.
