Takeo Kido, a developer at Tango Gameworks, has taken to social media to share some heartbreaking photos of the studio’s final day. In May, Xbox announced that it would be closing four Bethesda studios – Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games.
Tango is best known for The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hi-Fi Rush, and Hero Dice.
Kido’s photos include a picture of the lobby filled with game merch, tons of boxed-up equipment, and a final pizza party for the employees.
Staff were informed of the closures via an email by Xbox Games Studios head Matt Booty.
“Today I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda and ZeniMax teams,” the email reads. “These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades. This reprioritization of titles and resources means a few teams will be realigned to others and that some of our colleagues will be leaving us.”
Hi-Fi Rush, one of Tango Gameworks’ most popular games, will remain on all platforms following the studio’s closure.
“I haven’t been talking publicly about this because right now is a time for us to focus on the team and the individuals,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said following Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase.
“It’s obviously a decision that’s very hard on them, and I want to make sure through severance and other things that we’re doing the right thing for the individuals on the team. It’s not about my PR, it’s not about Xbox PR, it’s about those teams.
I’ve said over and over, I have to run a sustainable business inside the company, and grow,” Spencer said. “And that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that, frankly, are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.”
