Krafton relaunches Tango Gameworks after Microsoft dropped Hi-Fi rush publisher

Tokyo-based game developer Tango Gameworks announced a rebranding of its studio identity on June 2. The company will also launch its new website, including multiple open positions for work on its next project.

Tango Gameworks said its new logo represents the beginning of a refocused vision for the studio. The firm also revealed featured profiles of its creators to give further insight into the studio’s culture for prospective developers.

Krafton acquires Tango Gameworks from Microsoft

Tango Gameworks is happy to announce the launch of our new website. It details our creative vision and features a new logo that symbolizes our updated brand image.

We hope you'll join us on this new journey, and look forward to more from us in the future!https://t.co/UdexcG7bjk

— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) June 2, 2025

Tango Gameworks, the former Microsoft studio under Krafton’s new ownership, revealed the rebranding of its studio identity on Monday. Microsoft had announced plans to shut down the studio, but the PUBG publisher acquired the game and its Japanese studio. 

Microsoft’s move came as a shock to the industry since a year prior, the company’s VP Aaron Greenberg said Hi-Fi Rush was a hit for Microsoft in all key expectations and was happy with the release by Tango Gameworks. The game received positive reviews on Steam and garnered prestigious awards, including ‘Best Animation’ at the BAFTA Games Awards, ‘Best Audio Design’ at the Game Awards, and a Game Developers’ Choice award for ‘Best Audio.’

“The new logo and brand design are meant to encapsulate the studio’s vision as a ‘creative workshop’: a place where creators have ownership of their work, and their individual contributions come together into games that feel handmade with soul.”

-Tango Gameworks.

Tango Gameworks revealed the re-opening of its Tokyo-based official office and that its hybrid work environment also has its in-office counterpart. The gaming company also announced in January it had been reborn as Tango Gameworks Inc. The firm said it’s excited to continue crafting games that bring joy to players around the world.

Tango Gameworks hopes to continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush game

pic.twitter.com/XyTkKcFyzF

— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) January 1, 2025

Krafton acquired Tango Gameworks last year, together with the rights to its hit game Hi-Fi Rush. Hi-Fi Rush 2 was being worked on before Microsoft closed down Tango, though the sequel isn’t officially on the way.

Krafton CEO Changhan Kim acknowledged last year that supporting Tango in continuing to be creative and developing new experiences was key. 

Kim said Krafton wasn’t in it for the money, but they wanted to maintain Tango Gamework’s legacy. He also noted that although the company did not succeed in their games, they say many creatives are worth pursuing. The firm’s official also revealed that he didn’t know how much Hi-Fi Rush earned for Microsoft, but he suspects it wasn’t much. 

Krafton’s CEO acknowledged that the goal of the acquisition is to increase the diversity of Krafton’s lineup. According to Kim, having more project lineups is a way to mitigate risk because one of them might work out. He believes the Hi-Fi Rush team should be encouraged to create something new and continue their journey.

Kim also mentioned that they didn’t think Hi-Fi Rush 2 would make Krafton money, but had to keep it in the spirit of challenge-taking. The company’s official also noted that the reason for picking Hi-Fi Rush instead of Evil Within and Ghostwire was because they wanted to get the deal done fast in order to minimize the gap for Tango employees. He argued that attempting to acquire all of Tango’s games would complicate the deal and decided that Hi-Fi Rush was what gamers wanted more of.

The game publisher also noted that it’s working with Xbox and ZeniMax to enable a smooth transition to ensure the Tango Gameworks team can continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects. Krafton assured that there would be no impact on the exciting game catalog of The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the original Hi-Fi Rush game. 

Microsoft had planned to close three studios it inherited after acquiring ZeniMax in 2021, including Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Studios. The move was part of a larger round of layoffs and internal shifting, as Microsoft characterized it as a “reprioritization of titles and resources.”

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