Steam users are leaving positive reviews for Hi-Fi Rush following Microsoft’s shock decision to close its developer, Tango Gameworks.
Microsoft announced the closure of Tango Gameworks as well as Redfall developer Arkane Austin this week as part of devastating cuts to Bethesda owner ZeniMax.
Tango Gameworks’ critically acclaimed rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush was deemed a success upon its launch. It shadow-dropped straight into Game Pass on Xbox and PC, and was sold outside the subscription service priced $30. IGN’s Hi-Fi Rush review returned a 9/10. We said: “Hi-Fi Rush marches to the beat of its own drum with stunning animation, loveable characters, and stylish rhythmic action that are anything but one-note.”
Last year, amid reports that Hi-Fi Rush had failed to sell well enough, Aaron Greenberg, vice president of Xbox games marketing, insisted that Hi-Fi Rush “was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release.”
On Wednesday, May 8, Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty reportedly told Bethesda staff “we need smaller games that give us prestige and awards” — just a day after Microsoft shut down Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks.
Tango Gameworks staff reacted to Booty’s reported statement with social media posts expressing their clear exasperation at the situation. John Johanas, creative director at Tango Gameworks and director on Hi-Fi Rush, reacted to Booty’s quote in devastating fashion:
https://t.co/Cz2fW01QVc pic.twitter.com/ADV4ZTpIuP
— johnjohanas (@johnjohanas) May 9, 2024
Kazuaki Egashira, game project manager at Tango Gameworks, offered their own take:
Not enough?#HiFiRush #TangoGameworks pic.twitter.com/3OLhYAPbxU
— KazuakiEgashira (@ega1002) May 9, 2024
Hi-Fi Rush, which hit a peak of 6,132 concurrent players on Steam when it launched in January 2023, has seen an uptick in players on Valve’s platform since this week’s announcement, and it is now the subject of a positive review bombing campaign by users who are hitting out at Microsoft’s closure of Tango Gameworks.
“RIP Tango Gameworks,” reads one review. “At least they went out with a bang.” “Hi-Fi Rush was the best game Xbox published in over a decade, it won awards and was beloved by everyone,” reads another. “Microsoft’s answer is to shut them down, and it’s crap. Hi-Fi Rush is worth playing 1000%, please buy this game and experience one of the best character action games. I fear because of the licensed music it will get delisted in the future because MS clearly doesn’t care. Tango, Arkane Austin and everyone affected today didn’t deserve this.”
At the time of this article’s publication, Hi-Fi Rush had had over 500 positive reviews posted following the news of Tango Gameworks’ closure, a figure that is likely to grow into the weekend as more Steam users pile on. It’s not a huge number relative to some other review bombing campaigns, but it’s a significant shift for Hi-Fi Rush, which had tracked at positive reviews in the single digits for months.
Limited Run Games, meanwhile, has indicated it still plans to release Hi-Fi Rush’s previously announced physical version despite the closure of Tango Gameworks. Last week, Hi-Fi Rush’s long-rumored Nintendo Switch port popped up in an age-rating from the ESRB. The game launched on PlayStation 5 earlier this year as part of Microsoft’s multi-platform video game push.
Why did Microsoft close Tango Gameworks? Xbox executive Sarah Bond offered a response in a recent interview. IGN understands a pitch for Hi-Fi Rush 2 was rejected in part because it was deemed too expensive.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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