PUBG publisher Krafton said that it acquired Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks not to make money but to preserve its legacy.
The South Korean company said that it doesn't believe that Hi-Fi Rush 2 will make obscene amounts of profit. Krafton CEO Changhan "CH" Kim talked about the decision during an interview.
Krafton Acquires Tango Gameworks
He talked about the "last minute deal" after Tango Gameworks was shut down by Microsoft alongside Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games in May 2024. The acquisition was reported last month but only half of the original employees will be transferred over.
Kim said that they wanted to maintain the developers' legacy despite not having big successes with their games. He noted that Krafton saw many creatives worth pursuing within Tango Gameworks, according to Eurogamer.
The Krafton CEO also confirmed that it acquired the rights to Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush title. He said that this was done because "fans really want to see sequels." However, the deal apparently does not include The Evil Within or Ghostwire Tokyo.
He noted that if they acquired all of the intellectual properties, it would only complicate the deal too much. Kim argued that Krafton is already a big company but said that Microsoft is very complicated.
The Krafton head also said that they wanted to acquire as many of the original Tango Gameworks people as possible. He argued that the studio's sudden closure by Microsoft left workers "anxious," GameDeveloper said.
Kim added they wanted to make the deal go as fast as possible to minimize the gap in Tango Gameworks' staff's career. Microsoft's size and complexity allegedly made it difficult for Krafton to complete the deal in a short timeframe.
Preserving the Developer's Legacy
This was the reason why the South Korean company focused on acquiring only the Hi-Fi Rush franchise.
The two parties are still working to finalize the acquisition, which keeps Kim from detailing more details. These include how much Krafton actually spent to purchase the developer.
Kim said that Krafton wants to increase its portfolio lineup which Tango Gameworks could help with. He added that they applaud the studio's attempts to make something new for the gaming community.
The Krafton CEO noted that Tango Gameworks' other games may not have even "broken even."
He added that the acquisition deal was "not too expensive, or cheap either." While no specific details can be shared for now, Kim said "The dollar amount was not really important to Microsoft," according to IGN.
