Microsoft closes Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin and others

Well, this sure is a terrible time for the gaming industry isn't it. Now it's Microsoft turn again to close multiple studios. As first posted by IGN who managed to get a copy of an internal email sent by Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, the studios themselves have now confirmed it's all true across various posts on X (formerly Twitter).

The studios that have been announced that will be closing are:

• Tango Gameworks who made The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hero Dice and Hi-Fi Rush.
• Alpha Dog Studios who made multiple mobiles games like Mighty DOOM (which will shut) and Wraithborne.
• Roundhouse Games (reformed from Human Head Studios) but they will be joining up with ZeniMax Online Studios.
• Arkane Austin who made Redfall but "some" of their team will be placed elsewhere in Bethesda. As a result, Redfall will get no more updates now. However, Arkane Lyon are still going and working on games.

Such a shame to see more studios get the chop, especially odd is Tango Gameworks because Hi-Fi Rush was quite a hit overall even though it was completely surprise released. And since according to Microsoft it "was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations".

Statements on X from: Tango Gameworks, Arkane Studios, and Alpha Dog Games.

Remind me again why game industry consolidation is a good thing? Because it never seems like it is. These massive companies buy up various other publishers and developers, force them into box-ticking exercises for every penny they can get and then shut them all down. I'm tired of seeing it.

This news comes only days after GTA 6 publisher Take-Two shuts Roll7 and Intercept Games.