Tango Gameworks founder Shinji Mikami believed the studio would be “safe as long as they keep making Hi-Fi Rush games.” Mikami was asked about the studio's closure by Microsoft earlier this year and its revival under new owner Krafton at Gamescom last month.
“I thought the studio would be safe as long as they kept making Hi-Fi Rush games. That was one of the reasons I left Tango Gameworks. So I was surprised when the studio closed,” Mikami told IGN.
“Now Krafton has taken over, so I finally feel like things are going well. I'm reminded that if you make a good game, someone will take it over. The hard work of the Hi-Fi Rush development team has led to a new chapter for the company. I think for a development studio, making a good game is more directly related to survival than making a popular game.”
Mikami was interviewing fellow designer Goichi Suda, who described Tango Gamework's closure as “a bolt from the blue.” Suda and Mikami had worked together on Shadows Of The Damned, a remastered version of which is due out later this year.
Mikami is known for his work in the survival horror genre, having directed Resident Evils 1 and 4 at Capcom and the Evil Within series at Tango Gameworks. He has previously spoken about wanting to leave Tango Gameworks long before that in order to move away from the genre. It makes sense that he would see the critical success of Hi-Fi Rush — a game he mentored but did not direct — as an opportunity to leave the studio with its future secured.
Microsoft announced in May of this year that they would be shutting down Tango Gameworks, along with other layoffs and studio closures. In August, publisher Krafton purchased the studio and the IP rights to Hi-Fi Rush, with plans to hire back some of the studio's staff.