The Tango Gameworks team has spoken out about their future for the first time since closing and being resurrected by publisher, Krafton. In an interview with IGN, the team spoke of great excitement for the future, while confirming they will continue to defy expectations with new IP and fresh ideas.
That may not include Hi-Fi Rush 2, surprisingly. As creative director Colin Mack explained, while a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush was reportedly in development before the studio’s closure, the team is currently still deciding on what its next major project will be.
“We are considering a sequel positively,” Mack said. “We are not yet at the stage where we can say specifically, ‘This is what we’re going to do.'”
Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas was reportedly quick to clarify there’s a lot of love for Hi-Fi Rush amongst the Tango Gameworks staff, but with Krafton now providing support and funding for the studio, there’s so many options and opportunities available.
Read: Krafton reportedly wanted Tango Gameworks for creativity, not profit
Tango Gameworks is also a studio with a reputation for consistently experimenting and trying new things – an edict which still inspires the team. Hi-Fi Rush project manager Kazuaki Egashira made clear that Tango remains focussed on new creative experiences, with a view to surprise audiences.
“It’s risky to try something completely different, sure — but I think a sequel to a series is also a risk in itself,” Egashira said. Discussing this challenge, he referred to his work on The Evil Within and its sequel, describing how you can only “do so much” with the same material.
Notably, when Krafton acquired and resurrected Tango Gameworks in 2024, it described the move as being largely for creativity, rather than profit. Krafton CEO Changhan ‘CH’ Kim claimed he wanted to help the team to develop games in the “spirit of challenge-taking,” rather than aiming for profit first.
“We can’t acquire Tango Gameworks based on their financials or their numbers, right? We don’t think Hi-Fi Rush 2 is going to make us money, to be frank,” Kim said at the time. “But it’s part of our attempt.”
Despite these comments, it appears Hi-Fi Rush 2 is now less of a surety. Rather than committing to a sequel, the Tango Gameworks team is exploring all of its options, pursuing new and creative ideas to make the most of their resurrection. We’ll likely hear much more from the team in the coming year.
