The Future Holds Many More for Video Game Studio Ahead of Closure, Boss Promises Support

Game news “There will be many more” Two months before the closure of this major video game studio, their boss gave them their support: it won’t last…

In recent weeks, a new earthquake has hit the video game industry: Microsoft has decided to close the doors of four studios belonging to Bethesda. However, these groups have not lacked success. The new victims of these closures are Alpha Dog Studios (Mighty DOOM), Arkane Austin (Prey, Redfall) as well as Tango Gamework, known for The Evil Within and the much-loved Hi-Fi Rush. The problem is that no one has been able to justify these drastic measures.

At Xbox, managers talk about the need to move towards “high impact” licenses as a priority. They also try to explain that they are investing more in Bethesda's portfolio of hit games. This argument is not very convincing when we know that Hi-Fi Rush was the highest rated game in their catalog, in 2023. Unfortunately, the damage is done, and its developers had to say goodbye to their audience. Only, while the wound is still gaping, a tweet from Sarah Bond (the president of Xbox) once again rubs salt in the wound.

A controversial tweet

After these four closures, it was obvious that every statement from Phil Spencer or Sarah Bond would be closely analyzed. Unsurprisingly, the latter was questioned about these decisions, but she responded completely to the side. In an interview with Bloomberg, for example, he was asked if the success of Hi-Fi Rush could not have saved the studio. She answers : “ There is no universal rule for us. We look at every studio, every team, and a wide variety of factors when we have to make these kinds of decisions.” From the outside, this speech was quickly perceived as unconvincing and almost disconnected from reality. However, while these comments could have been forgotten, a post from Bond resurfaces and becomes very bitter.

More than two months ago, long before Tango Gameworks closed its doors, the studio celebrated its 14th anniversary. A post from the group showed that it had organized a big party for the occasion and had invited the developers as well as some Xbox employees. Of course, these photos have aged very poorly, as has the message thanking everyone who had helped Tango throughout its history. The worst, however, is Sarah Bond's response: '

” Happy birthday ! There will be many more”'.

A problem at Xbox?

At this point, several questions arise! Was Bond aware that Tango Gameworks was closing? If so, it becomes very ironic and very sad to expect so much from a studio at the end of its life. On the other hand, it is also possible that she does not know it, because the closures would have been made in fashion. This would then mean thatXbox suffered a serious crisis, which the firm still refuses to talk about. In any case, for Tango, the story ends. Spencer mentioned that some developers were going to be redirected to other projects, but he did not provide further details.