In a surprising move, Microsoft has revealed plans to close down several Bethesda Studios, such as Arcane Austin, known for their work on Redfall, Tango Gameworks, who specialize in high-fidelity action games, as well as Roundhouse Games and Alpha Dog Studios, two other important studios.
According to announcements made on the Tango Gameworks X page and in a post by IGN, Arcane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios will be shutting down permanently. However, Roundhouse Games will be transitioning to ZeniMax Online Studios to focus on Elder Scrolls Online.
Just one year after the difficult release of Redfall, which was met with low review scores, numerous bugs, and a dissatisfied fanbase, this announcement has been made. However, it is worth noting that Tango Gameworks also released Hi-Fi Rush, a surprise game that has been well-received by players and has received exceptional review scores. Many have praised its unique musical spin on the platform genre.
Despite this, Microsoft has chosen to shut down three significant studios in order to “further invest in our collection of games and new intellectual property.”
The email sent to employees, as reported by IGN, contained the information referenced above. It also emphasized the company’s focus on prioritizing successful titles and investing in the popular games and beloved worlds that have been cultivated over many years.
Despite the recent layoffs, companies such as Bethesda Game Studios (known for popular titles such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield), Arkane Lyon (currently working on Marvel’s Blade), Machine Games (developing Indiana Jones and The Great Circle), and id Software (famous for the Doom franchise) remain unaffected.
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