Shock and Anger as Xbox Shuts Down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and More

ign.com:

The video game industry has reacted with shock and anger after Microsoft shut down several game studios today, May 7, 2024 including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the developers of Redfall and Hi-Fi Rush respectively.

Both developers and fans have shared their disappointment at the closures, announced to staff via email on the morning of May 7, 2024. Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booy told employees of the studios, which joined Microsoft under Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, the cuts were a result of the "reprioritization of titles and resources."

"This is absolutely terrible," wrote Arkane Lyon director Dinga Bakaba on X/Twitter, whose studio survived the closures and will continue working on Marvel's Blade. "To any executive reading this: friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment and cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists and entertainers and help them create value for you."

This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.

"Don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations or blind spots, don't make our work environments Darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we've seen it before.

"For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes, again, and it's a f**king gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, and respect affected folks' voice and leave it room to be heard, it's their story to tell, their feelings to express."

Several other developers weighed in on the closures too, which also affect mobile game developer Alpha Dog Games. It's unclear how many staff have lost their jobs across the three studios, but Microsoft, currently