In the wake of a swift studio buyback after an attempted shutdown, Tango Gameworks has confirmed it is back in business creating “unique games.”
Now working under PUBG publisher Krafton, Tango studio leads Colin Mack, John Johannas, and Kazuaki Egashira sat down with 4Gamer to discuss their next steps. “After business succession or acquisition, you may be told to ‘copy the popular games’ or ‘make sequels because sequels are safe,'” Hi-Fi Rush director Mack explained. “However, Krafton values creativity and wants us to continue doing what we have done at Tango Gameworks, and to make games that only Tango Gameworks can make.”
This is great news for fans of the studio, who feared the worst when Microsoft announced it would be shuttering Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin following its earlier acquisition of parent company ZeniMax and all its publishing divisions, including Bethesda. “Tango Gameworks has been working hard for about 14 years since its founding in 2010, but it had been decided that it would be closed just when it had finally become the ideal studio we envisioned,” Mack explained of Tango’s abrupt closure announcement. “However, it was too sad to see the studio close. When we looked for a partner to continue Tango Gameworks in this form, we found that Krafton has a culture that values the fundamental fun and creativity of games [that we share].”
This focus on “unique” and innovative games looks set to continue as Tango forges a new path under Krafton. “If you make something that you want to play, you just have to believe that there are other people who want to play it,” says Johannas of the team’s ambition. “This passion gives birth to new ideas, but games are not made by one person. We may come up with various interesting ideas by talking together, but if the core concept is a unique experience and there is a common understanding among the development team, I think it will be a game that no other company could make.”
The studio has neither confirmed nor denied which game they are talking about here, but with Hi-Fi Rush 2 confirmed to be back in development, it all points to an exciting road ahead for the rescued studio that has saved itself from the scrapyard.
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