Hi-Fi Rush, the popular rhythm-based action game byTango Gameworks, has seen an influx of players on Steam after Microsoft confirmed it would be shutting down the game’s development studio. The game hasn’t exactly broken any records in terms of player count, but it does have more than Xbox’s AAA live-service title,Forza Motorsport.
Earlier this week, Microsoft received an abundance of backlash from the gaming community as the studio announced it would beshutting down Tango Gameworks(Hi-Fi Rush, Ghostwire Tokyo),Arkane Austin(Prey, Redfall), and Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom). It was also announced that Roundhouse Studios will be merged with The Elder Scrolls Online developer, ZeniMax Online Studios.
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The closure of these four Xbox studios is the latest in a long line of layoffs andclosures within the gaming industry, but Tango Gameworks' surprise shutdown has shocked fans immensely. The studio has had many successes over the years, including The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and most recently, Hi-Fi Rush.
The latter of which was a surprise shadow drop in January 2023, shortly after an Xbox Developer Direct showcase. It’s a rare occurrence for a game to come out of nowhere and become one of the year’s biggest hits, but Hi-Fi Rush did just that. Despite the multiple awards and rave reviews, Microsoft felt as though Tango Gameworks needed to be shut down, baffling the entire community in the process.
In protest of the studio’s closure, fans took to Hi-Fi Rush’s Steam page yesterday toreverse review bomb the title. Now it appears as though players are paying homage to Tango Gameworks by increasing Hi-Fi Rush’s player count. So much so, that it has more players than Forza Motorsport, one of Xbox’s AAA live-service titles.
Hi-Fi Rush Has More Steam Players Than Forza Motorsport
X user Dreamboumwas the first to notice the difference between Hi-Fi Rush and Forza Motorsport’s player count, taking to the platform yesterday, they said, “It’s official. Hi-Fi RUSH, a single-player game, has more people playing the game on Steam than Forza Motorsport 2023, Xbox’s latest AAA live service.”
The player count will vary from hour to hour, but at the time of writing this article, Hi-Fi Rush has roughly 650 players on Steam, while Forza Motorsport has 510. But, according toSteamDB, Hi-Fi Rush peaked at 900 players in the past 24 hours, while Forza Motorsport only peaked at 675.
While there will most certainly be an influx of players due to the recent news of Tango Gameworks' closure, it is also worth noting that Hi-Fi Rush was included inthis month’s Humble Bundle choice, which will also have an impact on the game’s player count. Nevertheless, players are making it known that Microsoft’s decision to close Tango Gameworks is a baffling one.
Hi-Fi Rush
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