John Johanas is just one of many staff reprising his role at Tango Gameworks following the Tokyo-based studio’s shock resurrection under Korean publisher Krafton. After being understandably “emotional” following the company’s closure in May, the creative director’s emotional rollercoaster has swung back upwards, as he’s proudly declared on social media, “We’re back, baby!”
The PUBG maker sent out a surprise press release overnight confirming that it was resurrecting the Japanese team following Microsoft’s shuttering of the studio earlier in the year. Not only that, but it’s also acquired the Hi-Fi Rush franchise from the trillion dollar titan, and plans to expand it by presumably greenlighting the creation of a sequel.
“… And this is how it continues,” wrote Johanas on X (or Twitter), referencing his previous closure message when he sadly wrote, “So this is how it ends.”
Johanas’ credits include directing The Evil Within 2 and Hi-Fi Rush; he also worked as a Visual Effects Designer on the original The Evil Within. His return to Tango Gameworks will be big for the studio’s future, and we can’t wait to see what he cooks up for future releases.
[source x.com]
Comments 28
I'm really glad John Johanas is back. Guy's very talented.
I still can’t believe MS did this originally.
So glad this studio has been resurrected.
And we're glad to see you back
I’m so excited that we aren’t losing such a creative studio.
One of the best new IPs and MS is giving it away. Classic MS. They are good at making bad decisions.
It's so baffling how MS allowed this to happen in the first place. But then this is the same company that sold Bungie at the height of their Halo fame because they wouldn't allow them to make a new IP. Can you imagine if Sony did that with Naughty Dog?
Krafton just posted their financials and they got Evil Within and GhostWire Tokyo as well.
This is awesome. Never played the game but have only heard good things about it and the dev team.
@MrMagic Do you have a source for that?
@MrMagic Are you serious? Ghostwire Tokyo is one of my favourite games even if it is a bit half baked at times Id still love a sequel.
N.i.c.e. im more interested in a new evil within game.word up son
@get2sammyb There's none. Their press release mentions that Tango developed those games but not that they aquired them, only Hi-Fi Rush.
https://www.krafton.com/en/news/press/krafton-strengthens-global-presence-through-strategic-integration-of-tango-gameworks-and-hi-fi-rush-ip/
@MrMagic Source? Others are saying there’s zero mention of those.
A Great Big Middle Finger To Microsoft For Doing This In The First Place .
@WhiteRabbit @Athrum @dskatter @get2sammyb Well I had never read their press release and just saw this slide so I assumed they had acquired them all.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUxgwXhWwAAUBVp?format=jpg&name=medium
@MrMagic
If this is accurate and The Evil Within is free from the potential shackles of Xbox exclusivity I'd be over the moon. Loved those two and was gutted that I might not have gotten to play a third. Microsoft are a blight on this industry that ruin everything they touch.
@MrMagic Yeah those are basically just the characteristics of the studio, but they didn't aquire the IP.
Lets hope that they will, in the future. But with their other survival horror IP having bombed that hard, don't know if they're keen to invest in it soon.
It's a shame though, TEW is by far my favorite game from Tango.
@MrMagic Sadly saying a studio made a thing doesn’t mean they kept the IP. Oh, well!
Need more evil within 😍
A very happy development in such during times.
Really happy they're back in business.
So what was MS excuse for not greenlighting a sequel then if a publisher who isn't even worth a fraction is able to do it.
I wonder if they had to even pay something for this aquirement
Congrats to all at Tango.
@pharos_haven Growth vs profitability
@McBurn knowing Microsoft, they probably said “Hey, you want Hi Fi Rush too???”
MS would have sold off the Studio and Hi-fi Rush IP - which I guess was too much trouble to keep open and supported in 'Japan' when all their other studios are based in the US/EU.
Hi-Fi Rush may have been a critical success, but it wasn't that 'popular' on Xbox or Game Pass ad even when sold on Playstation, couldn't outsell Grounded, Sea of Thieves or even old Fallout games. It was 'nowhere' in the Charts - both of which may well of contributed to Tango's closure.
Another aspect is the fact Mikami left. It maybe like buying Kojima Productions because of 'Kojima' more so than 'Death Stranding', but then he leaves and your left with a 'different' studio with different ideas that maybe aren't what you wanted. They may still own the Evil Within for example, but don't have the creator of it anymore to make those type of games.
MS, or more ABK group have opened 2 new Studios (Infinity Ward Austin and Elsewhere Entertainment in Poland) as well as formed a team in Blizzard to work on 'smaller' games too. Logistically easier than having 1 studio the other side of the world.
Point is, there could be numerous factors in why they chose to close and then found a buyer for Tango and the 'Hi-fi Rush' IP which obviously works for Krafton. MS may have bought Zenimax for id Software, Bethesda, Machine Games, Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, Fallout, Elder Scrolls and all the Publishing rights but also had to take Tango, Hifi Rush and Redfall - Hifi Rush launched with no marketing and was just dropped into Game Pass so maybe didn't expect it to be a critical success...
Great news. What else can be prised away from Microsoft.
Please resurrect Arkane studios
Prey - Death Loop - Dishonoured
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