Following the recent closure of Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush studio, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has emphasized the need for Microsoft to focus on developing smaller games that can garner prestige and awards. This comes just a day after the announcement of the shutdown of Tango Gameworks and other Bethesda Softworks studios. In a town hall meeting with ZeniMax employees, Booty, along with ZeniMax studios head Jill Braff, discussed the future plans for the division.
During the meeting on May 8, Booty reportedly stated, “We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards.” Internal sources close to the situation expressed surprise at this goal, considering Microsoft’s recent decision to close Tango Gameworks, the acclaimed studio behind Hi-Fi Rush. Despite this, Booty praised Hi-Fi Rush during the meeting but did not provide clarity on the reasoning behind the studio’s closure.
Last year, after the release of Hi-Fi Rush, Aaron Greenberg, vice president of Xbox games marketing, lauded the game as a “breakout hit” that exceeded expectations. However, it was revealed that Tango Gameworks had pitched a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush before its closure, and Arkane Austin had plans for a new single-player game, potentially a new Dishonored entry.
Booty expressed that Microsoft’s studio system was feeling “spread too thin” and likened it to “peanut butter on bread.” As a result, the decision was made to close Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin to allocate resources more efficiently across the organization.
