Hi-Fi Rush 2, the new Dishonored was supposedly released before the closure of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks

A new report from BloombergJason Schreier has alleged that HiFi Fever 2 and a new immersive simulator “as a new entry in the dishonor The series” had been released by Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin before its sudden closure. The two games are not believed to have started production, but both studios were eager to get to work, with Arkane Austin particularly keen to return to its roots as a studio.

Given Microsoft’s decision to close Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, it’s safe to say that these games won’t happen. This despite Microsoft continually sharing high praise for Hifi fever – including at a recent meeting designed to address studio closures – and the potential excitement around a new dishonor game.

What is the strangest thing about the mention of dishonor here is that a third game in the franchise was listed internally as being in development, according to a document leaked during the FTC v. Microsoft court case from late 2023. This document, which apparently originated from Microsoft itself, lists a variety of games in the works, including disgraced 3, to Ghostwire: Tokyo sequel (also presumably cancelled, given that the original was made by Tango Gameworks), a Fallout 3 remaster, a Forgot remastering and more.

Read: Fallout 3 and Forgot remasters, disgraced 3and more apparently revealed in a US court filing.

Microsoft never acknowledged the leaked list of titles, but there was reason to believe that the list was legitimate and that the games listed were planned to be in development at some point. It is unclear if Arkane Austin’s speech is related to what was mentioned above. disgraced 3What if Tango Gameworks had been working on Ghostwire: Tokyo before the shutdown, but it appears that the studio closures were sudden and unexpected.

Notably, the rationale for the closures has also not been quite clear, with Microsoft making no public comment and reportedly sharing little with developers at its recent public meeting. By BloombergXbox president Matt Booty and ZeniMax Studios head Jill Braff implied that ZeniMax studios were spread too thin like “peanut butter on bread” and that leadership was having trouble managing them all.

It was also suggested that requests for additional staff were unsustainable and forced leaders to consider the feasibility of both studies.

“It’s difficult to support nine studios around the world with a small core team and an ever-growing list of things to do,” Braff said. “I think we were about to collapse.”

This mismanagement has led to significant layoffs, and many at Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios have lost their jobs. In the process, the great potential of inventive and creative stories such as HiFi Fever 2 and a new dishonor The adventure has also been lost. At this stage, both projects are likely stagnant – victims in the pursuit of endless financial growth.