Microsoft made the shocking decision to shut down its only Japanese studio, Tango Gameworks, earlier this year. As Xbox's one foothold in the Japanese market, and given the fact that the studio was coming off of a hit game, Hi-Fi Rush, many wondered why Microsoft would outright close the studio. It would seem that industry folks were also confused, as a quiet bidding war has been going on behind the scenes. Now, Krafton has come out on top and will be acquiring Tango Gameworks. 

Tango Gameworks will live on after all, as Microsoft has reached an agreement to sell the studio to PUBG publisher, Krafton. The deal includes not just the studio, but the Hi-Fi Rush IP as well, so we may get a sequel someday.

This is being pitched as a “strategic agreement” rather than an outright acquisition, with Krafton set to “collaborate with Xbox and Zenimax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks”.

On its end, Krafton intends to “support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans”.

While the deal does include the Hi-Fi Rush IP, it looks like Microsoft will be hanging on to The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

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KitGuru Says: Tango Gameworks will live on after all. Now we'll have to wait and see what the studio does next – hopefully a Hi-Fi Rush 2 will be included in those future plans. 

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