Summary
It’s been revealed that theEvil WithinandGhostwire: TokyoIPs will remain with Microsoft following Krafton’s acquisition of former first-partyXboxstudio Tango Gameworks. Krafton is a South Korean game publisher best known for publishing the battle royale genre’s breakout hitPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, as well asDead Spacecreator Glen Schofield’s latest horror swing,The Callisto Protocol. WhilePUBGwas a great success in the earlier days of the battle royale craze,The CallistoProtocolstruggled to garner much acclaim when it released in 2022.
Earlier this year,Xboxmade the devastating announcement that it had closed four of its Bethesda studios. Of the four closed studios, Tango Gameworks' closure was the biggest source of confusion for Xbox fans, as just last year Xbox’s one and only Japanese studio released its rhythm action gameHi-Fi Rushto critical acclaim. Many Xbox fans argue thatHi-Fi Rushturned out to be Xbox’s best game of 2023, so Krafton’s unexpected buyout saving Tango Gameworks, theHi-Fi RushIP, and most of the studio’s remaining staff was largely met with praise from the Xbox community.
Now, new details have emerged about the nature of Krafton’s acquisition of former Xbox and Bethesda studio Tango Gameworks.MP1st has gained confirmation from Kraftonthat it only gained control over Tango’sHi-Fi RushIP, and that the studio’ssurvival horror seriesThe Evil Withinand its first-person action horror titleGhostwire: Tokyoboth remain with Microsoft following the acquisition.
The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo IPs Remain With Xbox
Krafton’s timely buyout of Tango Gameworks is certainly great news for fans of its latest title,Hi-Fi Rush, as it’ll be able to move forward with a potential sequel under Krafton. However, fans of Tango’s horror outingsThe Evil WithinandGhostwire: Tokyoare left a bit more uncertain. If Xbox were to move ahead with either IP, it would have to be with a different internal studio. Thankfully, many of Xbox’s first-party studios specialize in first-person games, so apotentialGhostwire: Tokyosequelwould likely be in great hands. That said, it seems likeThe Evil Within 3could potentially be more difficult to get off the ground with a different studio at the helm, as none of Xbox’s studios are known for survival horror.
It will be interesting to see what Tango Gameworks will work on next under Krafton’s leadership. AHi-Fi Rushsequel may certainly be in the cards, but the studio’s horror roots shouldn’t be ignored either. Despite the studio founder andsurvival horror mastermind Shinji Mikami departing the studio last year, there’s surely more than enough horror talent left at the studio to make a new horror game; it just won’t be anEvil Withintitle. Whatever the case, it’ll likely be several years before Tango fans will be able to know more about the studio’s next outing.
The Evil Within
WHERE TO PLAY
Developed by Shinji Mikami – creator of the seminal Resident Evil series – and the talented team at Tango Gameworks, The Evil Within embodies the meaning of pure survival horror. Highly-crafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story are combined to create an immersive world that will bring you to the height of tension. With limited resources at your disposal, you’ll fight for survival and experience profound fear in this perfect blend of horror and action.While investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his partners encounter a mysterious and powerful force. After seeing the slaughter of fellow officers, Sebastian is ambushed and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a deranged world where hideous creatures wander among the dead.Facing unimaginable terror, and fighting for survival, Sebastian embarks on a frightening journey to unravel what’s behind this evil force.
