Microsoft had been on a bit of a spending spree as they acquired more studios to be a bit more competitive in the video game industry. One of the major purchases the company picked up was ZeniMax Media, and with it came a slew of studios and franchises. Of course, since the purchase, there were some fans wondering just how forceful Microsoft was when it came to canceling productions that were already underway for the Sony PlayStation 5. One of the projects that was already in development when Microsoft made the acquisition was Hi-Fi Rush.
Hi-Fi Rush was a surprise release for the Microsoft Xbox fan base. It came from Tango Gameworks, a studio known for more horror-focused gameplay experiences. What we got instead was a surprise colorful rhythm-based action title. It was rather well-received and, again, as mentioned, a surprise title launch from the studio. Best of all, the game was a surprise launch, meaning those with Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service could immediately try the game out. However, some fans might have wondered if there was a PlayStation 5 version of the game that got scrapped when Microsoft acquired the studio.
Fortunately, we can lay that rumor to rest as a new interview with Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas, Gamespot cleared the air. According to John, the game was already in late development when the purchase happened, but at that point, the studio was still undecided on what platforms the game would even be launching for, and that purchase decision was easy. So it doesn’t look like there was anything to shelf since there weren’t any plans for a platform release.
The director went on to say that they continued working through the game with Microsoft, not giving any feedback in the sense of having to make changes. Meanwhile, it looked Game Pass was perfect for this title, as the studio noted this was far different from anything they had released before. Of course, now the focus has been on Microsoft’s next big purchase, which is a bid to acquire Activision Blizzard. But so far, the deal hasn’t gone through, and we’re still waiting for Microsoft to go through the regulator hurdles to ensure they can proceed with the acquisition. In the meantime, if you still haven’t tried out Hi-Fi Rush, we have a Before You Buy coverage of the game. You can check out the video embedded right below.
