On May 7, 2024, Microsoft announced that three Bethesda-affiliated studios, Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Games, were slated to close. The fourth team in the announcement, Roundhouse Studios, was not closed. Its team was to join ZeniMax Online Studios. The news reached the public through an employee email from Matt Booty, Microsoft Gaming’s president of game content and studios.
What was announced
Microsoft described the changes as a “reprioritization of titles and resources.” The announcement covered four organizations inside Bethesda’s structure, but they did not share the same outcome. Three were slated for closure, and one team was moved into another studio.
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| Studio | Outcome reported on May 7, 2024 | Games connected with the studio | Scope of the connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkane Austin | Slated to close | Redfall, Prey | Co-developed the original Dishonored. It did not make the whole series alone. |
| Tango Gameworks | Slated to close | Hi-Fi Rush | Developed Hi-Fi Rush |
| Alpha Dog Games | Slated to close | Mighty Doom | Reported server shutdown for Mighty Doom on August 7, 2024 |
| Roundhouse Studios | Team to join ZeniMax Online Studios, not closed | Support work on recent launches | Reporting said the team would work on The Elder Scrolls Online |
The distinction matters. Closing a studio ends its operations and typically its team. Moving a team into another studio keeps the people and their work in place, even if the team’s home organization changes.
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Arkane Austin
Arkane Austin was the studio most closely tied to Dishonored among the four. Reporting associates it with Redfall and Prey, and says it co-developed the original Dishonored. The franchise was not created by Arkane Austin alone, so the closure should not be read as the end of the Dishonored series’ development history.
#1 Best Overall
Tango Gameworks
Tango Gameworks is the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-based action game in which combat and the world move in sync with the music. Xbox Wire’s October 4, 2023 oral history says the team developed the game in secret for nearly five years. Game director John Johanas described the reaction this way:
“The positive reaction is that I think it (Hi-Fi Rush) did what we wanted it to do, which is to show that we were not just a studio that can only make horror games.”
Rank #2
- Optimized for Consoles: Doom 3 BFG Edition features 5.1 surround sound, Xbox 360 Achievements, PS3 trophies, improved rendering and lighting, and a new check point save system allowing for smoother progression through the game.
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In the same interview, he added: “I think that makes us better as developers, because we get to try new things.”
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Xbox Wire identified Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC as the game’s platforms. That describes the original release. It does not confirm current store availability, regional pricing, or whether a physical edition is still sold.
Rank #3
- Box contains 2 discs and a code
- persistent broadband Internet connection required for use of online functionality and downloads of updates
Alpha Dog Games
Alpha Dog Games was connected with Mighty Doom. A contemporary report stated that the closure would lead to the game’s servers shutting down on August 7, 2024. That was a scheduled date reported in 2024. Coverage available for this article does not confirm the game’s service status after that date.
Roundhouse Studios
Roundhouse Studios was described as a support studio that contributed to recent launches. Its team was to join ZeniMax Online Studios, where reporting said it would work on The Elder Scrolls Online. Roundhouse is therefore not a closure in the same sense as the other three, and it should not be grouped with them in headlines or summaries.
Rank #4
Why Microsoft made the decision
Microsoft’s stated reason was a reprioritization of titles and resources. Reporting on the email did not include a detailed public financial rationale. The available coverage does not show that the decision was driven by a particular game’s sales or performance, and this article does not attribute it to one.
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Microsoft completed its acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, in March 2021. Xbox’s announcement at the time listed Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse among the studios joining Xbox. That history explains why the 2024 changes were framed as affecting Bethesda teams under Microsoft’s ownership.
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- Collection of 5 Doom games
What is not established
- Tango Gameworks’ current status. Later reporting pointed to further developments involving Tango. This article has not confirmed the studio’s current ownership, operating status or release plans, so the 2024 closure announcement should not be read as a full description of its present situation.
- Current sales. Player counts are not sales figures, and no reliable sales data for Hi-Fi Rush, Redfall, Prey or Mighty Doom is established here.
- Mighty Doom after August 7, 2024. The shutdown date is the reported schedule from 2024. Check the game’s official channels for its current status.
Reading the news in 2026
This article reflects reporting from May 2024 and the sources available for it. Studio ownership, live services and game availability can change, so readers should check current official channels before relying on any date or status mentioned here.
The clearest facts to take away are these: three studios were slated to close, one team was moved to ZeniMax Online Studios, and Microsoft’s public explanation was a reprioritization of titles and resources rather than a specific game’s performance.
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