On the same day as Nintendo confirms the existence of the Switch successor, Microsoft seems to go in the other direction as they announced the closure of multiple studios. Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games will close completely, while Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios. Tango Gameworks is also confirmed to be closing.
— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) May 7, 2024
Why is this important? Tango Gameworks is the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush, one of the breakout games of 2023 and heavily rumored to be coming to the Nintendo Switch. If you recall, four Xbox titles were to be ported over to other consoles: Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, Grounded, and Hi-Fi Rush. Pentiment and Grounded were the only two released on Switch, but a Hi-Fi Rush port has been rumored for a while. Just last week, it was rated on the Switch by PEGI, which could mean nothing, of course. With the closure of Tango Gameworks, it puts any potential port in jeopardy. I may be reading too much into their announcement, but Tango stated, “Hi-Fi RUSH… will remain available and playable everywhere they are today.” This makes it seem as if it won’t come out on any other console in the future, which makes sense as the studio is closing.
Datamined files appear to confirm a Hi-Fi Rush Switch release
This is all based on rumors; the game might never have been coming to Switch at all. It could potentially be released later on by Microsoft on the Switch 2. There’s no real way of knowing. One thing’s for sure, things don’t look too great for the future of Xbox. With consumers already worrying about a potential end to the Xbox, all these closures make it feel like things aren’t going okay behind the scenes.
It’s a grim time for the gaming industry as a whole, with layoffs and closures running rampant. After hearing so much about record profits in the last year, it’s a shame that the ones responsible for producing these records are the ones to lose their livelihoods. Let’s hope that the industry can change soon for the better.
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Written by Roberto Diaz
Embark on a gaming odyssey with a passionate player deeply immersed in pop culture. Roberto not only conquers virtual realms but also dominates the pop music scene, turning life into a harmonious adventure filled with gaming triumphs and cultural insights.
