Hi-Fi Rush gets reverse review bombed after Microsoft shutters Tango Gameworks

On May 8, Microsoft made the decision to shut down several of its key studios, which included Arcane Austin, responsible for Redfall, and Tango Gameworks, responsible for Hi-Fi Rush. 

The decision to shut down Tango Gameworks was particularly shocking to fans as just a year ago, Hi-Fi Rush became a critical darling, ranked as one of the best-reviewed games of 2023. Not only that, but it was a smash-hit for the team too, as we learned in talks with the game’s director last year.

In the wake of the studio’s closure, some of Tango’s games are now being reverse review bombed, with Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within games seeing a surge of positive reviews on Steam. 

Traditionally, a review bomb is when games are hit with an onslaught of scathing reviews, often for a particular reason. Most recently, we saw this with Helldivers 2 as thousands rallied to tarnish the game’s reception on Steam in light of Sony’s controversial PSN requirement, of which they later rolled back. In this case, however, the opposite is happening, as Hi-Fi Rush players are flooding in with positive reviews instead.

From May 7, Hi-Fi Rush saw an increase in positive reviews with nearly a hundred new positive reviews added. Meanwhile, both Evil Within games, also from Tango, are getting dozens after the studio’s closure. 

“Tango, Arkane Austin, and everyone affected today didn’t deserve this,” wrote one reviewer on Hi-Fi Rush’s page. “RIP Tango Gameworks and f*** Microsoft and corporate greed, people lose their jobs and their passion because a greedy executive wants to buy themselves another yacht,” another fiercely criticized Microsoft. 

“RIP Tango Gameworks. Shinji Mikami’s legacy was destroyed by dirty corporations,” a reviewer said on The Evil Within’s Steam page. 

So far, Tango Gamework’s games have amassed hundreds of new positive reviews, with plenty more still filing in.