Xbox Still Owns Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo IPs

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Xbox Still Owns Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo IPs

Highlights

  • The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo IPs are staying with Microsoft after Krafton bought Tango Gameworks, leaving the potential for sequels with Xbox.
  • Xbox fans were relieved as Krafton’s acquisition saved Tango Gameworks, the Hi-Fi Rush IP, and most of the studio’s staff.
  • The future of Tango Gameworks under Krafton remains uncertain, though upcoming projects could include a Hi-Fi Rush sequel and new horror games.

As a longtime fan of Tango Gameworks and their unique blend of horror and action, I can’t help but feel a mix of relief and curiosity about the recent turn of events. The fact that Krafton stepped in to save Tango Gameworks is undoubtedly good news for the survival horror genre, especially given the success of games like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

It’s been announced that the rights for The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo will stay with Microsoft, following Tango Gameworks studio’s acquisition by Krafton. Krafton is a well-known South Korean game publisher who gained popularity through the release of the groundbreaking battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and more recently, The Callisto Protocol by Glen Schofield, creator of the popular horror series Dead Space. Although PUBG was a massive success during the initial battle royale trend, The Callisto Protocol, launched in 2022, didn’t receive much praise.

In the first quarter of this year, Microsoft’s gaming division, Xbox, revealed a disappointing piece of news – they were shutting down four of their Bethesda studios. Among these closures, the decision to close Tango Gameworks generated a lot of perplexity among Xbox enthusiasts. This is because last year, Xbox’s sole Japanese studio, Tango Gameworks, had released the rhythm action game “Hi-Fi Rush” which was widely applauded by critics. In fact, many Xbox fans consider “Hi-Fi Rush” to be Xbox’s top game of 2023. Therefore, the sudden acquisition of Tango Gameworks by Krafton, along with the “Hi-Fi Rush” intellectual property and most of its staff, was generally well-received in the Xbox community due to its potential for future gaming projects based on “Hi-Fi Rush“.

It has been confirmed by Krafton that their recent acquisition of Tango Gameworks only covers the intellectual property (IP) for the game “Hi-Fi Rush”. The studio’s popular survival horror series, “The Evil Within”, and its first-person action horror title, “Ghostwire: Tokyo”, will continue to be under Microsoft’s ownership following the acquisition.

The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo IPs Remain With Xbox

The acquisition of Tango Gameworks by Krafton brings excitement for fans of “Hi-Fi Rush” as they anticipate a possible sequel under Krafton. However, fans of Tango’s horror games like “The Evil Within” and “Ghostwire: Tokyo” are left with some uncertainty, as Xbox would need to work with a different studio if they were to develop either IP. Fortunately, many of Xbox’s first-party studios excel in first-person games, so a potential sequel for “Ghostwire: Tokyo” could be in capable hands. Regarding “The Evil Within 3”, it might face challenges with a new studio leading the project, as none of Xbox’s studios are renowned for survival horror.

Looking forward to discovering what Tango Gameworks will develop under Krafton’s guidance in the future. While a sequel for Hi-Fi Rush is a possibility, it’s also essential not to overlook their horror origins. Although Shinji Mikami, the studio founder and survival horror virtuoso, left last year, there’s still a wealth of talent within the studio capable of creating a new horror game, just not one in the Evil Within series. So, fans may have to wait for several years before we learn more about Tango Gameworks’ next project.

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2024-08-14 20:53