The number of layoffs and cuts in the videogame industry sadly continue to grow, with the latest huge layoffs coming from Microsoft, due to what MIcrosoft calls a "reprioritization of titles and resources" from a variety of companies and studios under their helm.

This action caused 4 well-known game studios to completely shut down, with said studios announcing the sad news today through their social media accounts. The known game studios that were hit by these changes and will close down are Tango Gameworks; known for games such as Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within, Arkane Austin; developers of Redfall, Alpha Dog Studios; developers of Wraithborne and MonstroCity: Rampage, and Roundhouse Games.

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These layoffs mean that certain games, like in the case of Arkane Austin's Redfall, will no longer be developed and won't receive any further updates.

It's unknown if the hundreds, and even thousands, of cuts and layoffs that are sweeping the video game industry will continue, but with the current state of affairs, sadly it doesn't seem to be slowing down at any moment.

Source

 

[scoobydude51]

Of course Microsoft had the “distraction” announcement ready…

This practice is just evil and is only to stop the sales of shares when bad PR is involved

 

[Viri]

Spoiler

He knew and NOPED the fuck out.

Also, remember this? lmao
Did Jeff Grub lie to us?!

Spoiler

 

[The Catboy]

Of course Microsoft had the “distraction” announcement ready…

This practice is just evil and is only to stop the sales of shares when bad PR is involved

Microsoft, evil? I’m shocked, SHOCKED! Well, not really that shocked

 

[Jayinem]

Spoiler

View attachment 435874

He knew and NOPED the fuck out.

Also, remember this? lmao
Did Jeff Grub lie to us?!

Spoiler

View attachment 435875

He should go back to Capcom and make Resident Evil 9, but have it be THIRD PERSON like a Resident Evil should be.

 

[LoggerMan]

The lead guy behind Hi-Fi Rush left the studio so there is no studio without him. Making Hi-Fi Rush 2 shouldn't be rocket science though, Microsoft will find someone worthy to continue the franchise.

 

[Lumpofcoal]

This is why I wasn't cheering when MS bought over blizzard and activision. Neither management cares much about developing quality games. It's the equivalent of "out of the frying pan into the fire". MS has turned into the equivalent of EA....where storied game studios go to die.

 

[Xzi]

Making Hi-Fi Rush 2 shouldn't be rocket science though, Microsoft will find someone worthy to continue the franchise.

I don't know about that, Hi-Fi Rush definitely had a certain uniqueness to it that I feel like we hadn't seen from a major studio since the PS2 days. Seems like Microsoft's sales expectations for the game were unreasonably high considering they chose to release it day one on Game Pass.

 

[Jayinem]

This is why I wasn't cheering when MS bought over blizzard and activision. Neither management cares much about developing quality games. It's the equivalent of "out of the frying pan into the fire". MS has turned into the equivalent of EA....where storied game studios go to die.

It all started when Microsoft bought Rare. Execs thought they had just acquired Donkey Kong, when they found out they didn't they didn't make a game using Rare for years (other than Conker remastered and crappy Kameo) and all the people that made Rare great left. There hasn't been a great Rare game under MS yet IMO, when they were with Nintendo they made dozens of good ones.

A merger or a company buying another company almost always make both worse, regardless if it's games or something else.

 

[ZeroFX]

Yes, good, maybe that will make the industry learn what happens when you use dei to butch your game story and uglify the characters.

Can we talk about the link between having a AAA game with a black female protagonist and it causing your game studio to go out of business?

Dishonored/Death loop/Redfall
Studio = Dead

Forspoken
Studio = Dead

Saints Row
Studio = Dead

I hope the trend continues, and it's not really the black ladies, lots of nice ones out there. It's the kind of unsuferable dei character they went with while making them black to meet some "representative" quota.

 

[onfy]

Buying most of an industry isn't cheap. Just ask Kevin O'Leary.

 

[Viri]

The lead guy behind Hi-Fi Rush left the studio so there is no studio without him

He probably seen the writing on the wall, and jumped ship ahead of time.

 

[pedro702]

well there goes my dishonored series down the drain ... srs was redfall really the thing that decided microsoft to destroy arkane studios? its a damn shame imo...

 

[17hitcombooo]

well there goes my dishonored series down the drain ... srs was redfall really the thing that decided microsoft to destroy arkane studios? its a damn shame imo...

arkane is still alive, it's just the austin studio that got closed

 

[jomaper]

This economic system is so old and tired even good shit is dying. We're in for a wild ride for the next 10 years. Shit is not gonna end well.

 

[Bladexdsl]

at least we are finally rid of redfall that was a disaster

 

[LoggerMan]

I don't know about that, Hi-Fi Rush definitely had a certain uniqueness to it that I feel like we hadn't seen from a major studio since the PS2 days. Seems like Microsoft's sales expectations for the game were unreasonably high considering they chose to release it day one on Game Pass.

The game did kind of feel like it was more Persona 5 level of quality. Microsoft can always hire the guy back as consultant or even lead, just offer him enough money. Haha.

 

[Jayinem]

well there goes my dishonored series down the drain ... srs was redfall really the thing that decided microsoft to destroy arkane studios? its a damn shame imo...

They're closing Arkane Austin, there's still another division of Arkane in France.

 

[NakedFaerie]

I thought there was another Dishonored game in the works? I guess not.
Well I guess I'll have to replay these ones than.

 

[NinStar]

He probably seen the writing on the wall, and jumped ship ahead of time.

He planned that many years before Microsoft considered buying their parent company, this has nothing to do with the current situation.

 

[Dokidoku]

I think a lot of people are ignoring the elephant in the room. Microsoft is in the process of forcing their studios to adopt AI. I've seen it on Microsoft job applications, where they expect people to use AI to generate art, assets, and even animations.

As for my personal cynical speculation: I bet they closed Tango because they respected artists too much.