Tango Gameworks remains much loved for its artistic and craftsman-like approach to game development, and for not being afraid to make big leaps between genres. The company founded by Shinji Mikami did survival horror in The Evil Within, action-adventure in Ghostwire: Tokyo and rhythm-based action in Hi-Fi Rush.
It seemed it was all over last year when Microsoft, which came to own Tango through its acquisition of ZeniMax Media in 2021, decided to close the studio in June. But Tango Gameworks is back, now under the wing of the South Korean PUBG: Battlegrounds publisher Krafton, which has bought it from Microsoft. A new logo design aims to communicate that the studio's approach remains intact (see our guide to the best game development software if you' hope to start work on a game of your own).
Tango hasn't yet revealed much more than a brief introduction, a job advert and a new logo design. The logo includes a T for Tango but in a very different form to its predecessor. Instead of the snail-like character Tango-Chan, the design resembles a torii gate, reflecting the studio's Tokyo base and the legacy of one of its major titles, as well as the transition between the mundane and the worlds of its games. It also looks just a little Atari-like.
As for the logotype, the writer Ewan Wilson over on BlueSky points out that its Mathieu Triay's sturdy but warm Marvin interpretation Marvin Visions. Tango says the new logo and brand design are meant to encapsulate the studio’s vision as a “creative workshop” where creators have ownership of their work, and their individual contributions come together into games that feel “handmade with soul.”
As many fans have pointed out, toriis were an important device in Ghostwire: Tokyo, where cleansing them caused harmful fog in the surrounding area to disappear, allowing more of the game map to be explored. That's leading some fans to predict that the new design means a Ghostwire sequel is in the works.
Alas, that seems unlikely. Microsoft declined to include Ghostwire Tokyo and The Evil Within in the sale to Krafton, so Tango only gets to keep the intellectual property of Hi-Fi Rush. I don't see that necessarily as a bad thing though. Tango has excelled at creating new original IPs, and it will be interesting to see if they achieve that again in the studio's new shape.
The new Tango Gameworks
The Tango team now comprises John Johanas as creative director, Masaki Yamada as game director and Kazuaki Egashira as development director. They say they'll have full control over their output. What that output will look like is unclear, since the first project is described only as an 'action game'
They are hiring for it, though. There are up to 11 positions going, including UI programmer, level designer, animators, character artists, cinematic programmers and systems programmer. You can learn more at the new website.
Are you excited about the return of Tango? Let us know in the comments. For more on Tango's legacy, see how Ikumi Nakamura helped create Promise Mascot Agency's grotesque mascots.
