HI-FI RUSH developer Tango Gameworks recently got revived in a new deal under Korean publisher Krafton, though its founder Shinji Mikami thought the company was safe under former owner Microsoft.
Krafton stepped in to save Tango Gameworks and its beloved HI-FI RUSH franchise after parent company Microsoft decided to kill the studio amidst sweeping cuts at the company months prior. Sole founder Shinji Mikami, a former Capcom boss, thought the company was safe at a big publisher like Microsoft.
“I had thought the studio would be safe as long as they continued to make Hi-Fi Rush games,” Mikami said to IGN. “That’s one of the reasons I left Tango Gameworks. So I was surprised when the studio was closed down.”
Mikami is doing a media tour with longtime collaborator Goichi ‘Suda51’ Suda, who he is working with on remastering their cult classic action-horror game Shadows of the Damned.
“Now Krafton has taken over the business, so I feel like it worked out well in the end,” Mikami added. “I was reminded that if you make a good game, someone will pick it up. The hard work of the Hi-Fi Rush development team led to a new chapter for the company. I think that for a development studio, making a good game is more directly related to survival than making a popular game.”
Elsewhere in the interview both Mikami and Suda talk up other games they’re working on, though we know of both new projects: Suda’s Hotel Barcelona and Mikami’s new studio KAMUY.
“In addition to Hotel Barcelona, which Swery [Hidetaka Suehiro] is working on, we at Grasshopper are making a brand-new action game,” Suda said. “It’s a completely new IP, so I can’t say much about it yet. But I’m glad that Hotel Barcelona was well received when it was shown recently at BitSummit.”
“As for me, I’m working directly on a game [at Kamuy], but I can’t tell you anything yet,” Mikami said. Suda quickly replied “So you’re making something” to which Mikami clarified “Yes, I’m not just a producer – I’m directly involved in development.”
Lastly, both legendary creators were asked if they could work on a new game together, what would it look like – to which Mikami teased a sequel to Killer7, though he added “It might be difficult, since Capcom owns the IP.”
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will launch on Halloween day, October 31st, for Windows PC (via Steam and the Microsoft Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, and PS5.
