Rumour: Hi-Fi Rush Dev Was Pitching Sequel Before Microsoft Closed It Down

Microsoft's sudden shuttering of several game development studios has sent shockwaves through the industry. The company's restructuring of Bethesda — which it acquired back in 2021 as part of a $7.5 billion deal — has meant that teams such as Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hi-Fi Rush) and Arkane Austin (PREY, Redfall) have been cut loose, with hundreds of employees losing their jobs.

The closure of Tango Gameworks in particular has been heavily criticised, with the aforementioned Hi-Fi Rush being its most recent release. The rhythm-based action game arrived to near universal acclaim last year, and came to PS5 in March, where it was once again greeted with glowing reviews.

Numerous social media posts and interview quotes from various Microsoft and Xbox executives have been dug up since the news hit, with many of them heaping praise on Hi-Fi Rush following its initial release. Needless to say, that kind of positivity certainly doesn't gel with what Microsoft and Xbox have done since.

And guess what? It looks like Tango Gameworks was gearing up for a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush ahead of its shuttering. As reported by Bloomberg's ever-reliable Jason Schreier, the studio was "in the process of pitching" a follow-up, according to anonymous sources. No doubt a horrible realisation for fans of the first game.