Tango Gameworks will update Hi-Fi Rush one last time before Microsoft shuts the door on the studio. Microsoft announced earlier in May that it was closing three studios, including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks. Shortly after the news of the closures, Tango Gameworks confirmed the game will “remain available and playable everywhere” it’s already accessible.
The final patch is expected to fix “minor issues” in Hi-Fi Rush, and will be deployed later on Wednesday. Tango Gameworks will continue to work in partnership with Limited Run Games to release the physical version of the game. “Thank you all for your continued support,” Tango Gameworks posted from its X account.
Microsoft’s decision to close Tango Gameworks came as a surprise to many in the industry; the Japanese studio surprise launched the game early last year to critical and — what seemed like — commercial success. Xbox marketing director Aaron Greenberg posted on X in April 2023 that Hi-Fi Rush was “a breakout hit” in “all key measurements and expectations” at Microsoft. Just a day after the closure was announced, Xbox Game Studios lead Matt Booty told staff that Microsoft needed “smaller games that give us prestige and awards” — a message that was surprising to employees, according to The Verge, because Hi-Fi Rush is exactly that. Hi-Fi Rush had 3 million players and won plenty of awards, including a prestigious BAFTA win for its animation.
Hi-Fi Rush fans showed their displeasure with the closure by review bombing the game on Valve’s Steam platform — but opposite of how it’s usually done. Review bombing is usually a negative act — people attempting to tank a game’s review score on a platform like Steam. But Hi-Fi Rush players added more than 2,000 positive reviews to Steam in an attempt to show Microsoft how much they loved it and to thank Tango Gameworks for their work. Several reviewers commented on the ironic nature of the studio’s closure: Hi-Fi Rush is “a power fantasy about tearing down an evil corporation whose executives treat workers like fodder in the endless pursuit of wealth,” as Polygon said in its review.
Hi-Fi Rush was originally an Xbox exclusive, but was released on PlayStation 5 in 2024. It’ll remain available on all current platforms, despite the studio’s closure.
The post Hi-Fi Rush gets one last patch before studio closure appeared first on Polygon.
