There have been numerous layoffs and studio closures in 2024, but one of the most-surprising was Microsoft’s decision to shut down Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush, The Evil Within, and more. Now, Silent Hill creator and Bokeh Game Studio founder Keiichiro Toyama has shared his thoughts about why Tango Gameworks didn’t survive.
Tango Gameworks was founded Shinji Mikami, who made his name in the survival horror genre with Resident Evil just as Toyama established himself with Silent Hill. Mikami stayed true to his survival horror roots with Tango’s first two games, The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2. According to Toyama, the decision to branch out from that genre may have harmed Tango’s long-term prospects.
“I don’t feel it’s my place to give them advice, but I think going back to what I said earlier about the balance of routine and preserving the style of your games is relevant,” said Toyama while speaking with VGC. “You look at an example like From Software: They keep making different games but certain styles and aspects of their games stay the same. That’s an obvious example of how a studio is successful. Not changing everything every time might be the key to life and surviving.”
Mikami actually explained Tango’s shift from survival horror in a 2022 interview where he expressed his desire to expand beyond that familiar genre. “Of course, it’s nice to have fans think of us as a studio with a reputation for developing survival-horror games,” said Mikami. “But we also want to be viewed as a studio that can create a wider variety of games.”
Toyama’s comments didn’t take into account the way that Xbox Game Pass has also taken away the incentive for many players to buy when they can sample instead. Microsoft touted Hi-Fi Rush as a success when it netted 2 million players, and that still wasn’t enough save the studio. Mikami left Tango Gameworks in 2023, months before the decision to shut down the studio was made by Microsoft.
While Tango Gameworks has been shuttered, fans of Hi-Fi Rush can still look forward to Limited Run’s upcoming physical edition of the game.