Summary
- When it was confirmed that Krafton was acquiring Tango Gameworks, many assumed that Hi-Fi Rush 2 had entered development.
- That might still end up happening, but the studio’s leads have confirmed that isn’t the case right now.
- Tango is currently considering a sequel, but also looking at other opportunities to pursue next.
Despite having previously been in development, Tango Gameworks says that it’s considering its options right now and can’t say for certain that Hi-Fi Rush 2 is happening.
Last year, Xbox hit a rare and much-needed home run when it released the outstanding Hi-Fi Rush as an at-the-time exclusive that ended up being my Game of the Year for 2023. Tango Gameworks’ masterfully crafted rhythmic platformer is a true gem, but Xbox decided to reward one of its most critically-acclaimed studios by shutting them down back in May.
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That was already heartbreaking enough, but it was made worse when reports suggested that Tango had already been working on a pitch for Hi-Fi Rush 2. In what I consider to be one of the brighter moments of the year, Krafton ended up saving the day by buying the studio and the rights to Hi-Fi Rush, leading many to assume that a sequel was definitely going to happen.
Hi-Fi Rush 2 Is Probably Happening, But It’s Not Set In Stone Yet
For most of 2024 since it was announced that Krafton had acquired Tango Gameworks, that has been the general belief. I mean, Hi-Fi Rush 2 was about to be pitched and Krafton specifically mentioned the series as something it wants more of, so why wouldn’t it be basically guaranteed, right? Well, that’s not exactly how things are going down.
Earlier today, IGN released an interview with several key members of Tango, including studio head Colin Mack, Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas, and Hi-Fi Rush project manager Kazuaki Egashira, where they talked about what’s next for the studio. Surprisingly, despite what’s been claimed in the past, Hi-Fi Rush 2 isn’t guaranteed to be that next thing.
When asked about a sequel, Mack said that the team is positively considering it, but that it’s not at the stage yet where it can confirm it’s going to happen. Johanas said that Tango has a lot of love for Hi-Fi Rush, but that the studio as a whole is currently considering various opportunities for its next project.
We are considering a sequel positively. We are not yet at the stage where we can say specifically, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ – Colin Mack
What this essentially means is that, even though Tango was going to pitch Hi-Fi Rush 2 when it was owned by Xbox, it’s currently considering what to do next under Krafton and wants to be able to do new things alongside a potential sequel. It’s still likely to happen (dear god, please), but it’s not as set in stone as we all believed.
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