After a year of Xbox execs celebrating Hi-Fi Rush as a “break out hit” and saying “we don’t quit” on games like Redfall, everyone wants to know what changed

Earlier today, Microsoft confirmed it was shutting down a number of studios, including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. Now, players, journalists, and industry figures are looking back on the celebratory comments Xbox executives have been making about both games over the past year and wondering what’s changed.

Shortly after the surprise launch of Hi-Fi Rush, reports began to circulate that the game was failing to meet some of Xbox’s internal expectations. Xbox marketing VP Aaron Greenberg was quick to push back on those reports at the time, saying that “Hi-Fi RUSH was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release.”

It’s now clear that Xbox could perhaps have been a bit happier with Tango, and Greenberg’s tweet in particular is getting raked over the coals in light of the studio’s shutdown and all the developers now left looking for work. 

Redfall was certainly not the critical darling that Hi-Fi Rush was, but developer Arkane Austin is – or rather, was – a storied studio and Xbox executives had repeatedly pledged to support the studio as it worked to improve the game. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said he was a “huge supporter” of the studio, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty said the studio was staying open, and former Bethesda publishing lead Pete Hines said “We don’t quit or abandon stuff just because it didn’t start right.” All of those quotes are getting a lot of play on social media right now. 

For more on 2024’s epidemic of game industry layoffs, you can read our previous coverage here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.