What you need to know
- A week after Microsoft announced the closure of Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks and a handful of other studios, the devs have released a final patch for the rhythm action game.
- You'll find the full patch notes for the update at the bottom of this article. They consist entirely of bug fixes for "small issues" that were previously unresolved.
- Additionally, the developers reaffirmed their intent to work with Limited Run Games to release physical copies of Hi-Fi Rush. This lines up with Limited Run's confirmation from a few days ago that these copies are still in the works.
- The physical edition of Hi-Fi Rush was first announced in February. There will be physical copies available for the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 platforms.
A little over a week after Microsoft announced the closure of three Xbox Game Studios developers — including Tango Gameworks, the team behind Hi-Fi Rush — the studio has confirmed on X (Twitter) that it's still committed to working with Limited Run Games on a physical release of the 2023 rhythm action title. Additionally, it also said Hi-Fi Rush is getting a final update to address some "minor issues," which has now been released publicly.
"Thank you all for your continued support," wrote the developer in a post. "We’re working to release the physical edition of Hi-Fi Rush with our partners at Limited Run Games, as well as a final patch to address some minor issues releasing later today." The update was then pushed live about an hour later alongside another message thanking players for their support and encouraging them to "keep on rocking!"
You'll find the full patch notes towards the end of this article, but none of the changes are really worthy of specific mention. As the developers said in the update's summary, they're all bug fixes for "minor issues" across the Xbox, PS5, and PC versions of the game.
Notably, the physical edition announcement lines up with Limited Run Games' from a few days ago, in which the distributor reaffirmed its intent to release the physical copies of Hi-Fi Rush that were first announced in February for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Founded in 2015, the company is known for working with game studios to create and sell physical versions of games in limited quantities.
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Given that Microsoft's vice president of Xbox games marketing Aaron Greenberg said Hi-Fi Rush was "was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations," the firm's decision to shutter Tango Gameworks last week was very surprising. It was also strongly criticized by fans and developers alike, with many pointing to Microsoft's strong financial performance and status as the world's most valuable company.
Microsoft Gaming president of game content and studios Matt Booty said in an email to staff that the "reprioritization of titles and resources" came after the company looked "across the business" to "identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success." A later report from Bloomberg noted Booty also said ZeniMax leadership was spread too thin, and that the shutdown of Tango Gameworks and other studios would help free up resources to be used elsewhere. Xbox president Sarah Bond was quizzed on the closure of Tango, but she didn't directly answer the question.
Overall, I'm glad that Hi-Fi Rush has gotten one last patch, and it's great to hear another confirmation that the planned physical edition is still on the way — after all, there's concern that the game will eventually be delisted from digital storefronts since it uses licensed music and the developers that could have replaced it with in-house tracks have been cut. Still, it's hard to feel excited knowing that the studio behind the game has been shut down forever.
Even so, Hi-Fi Rush stands tall as one of 2023's best Xbox games and best PC games, and if you're into rhythm-based mechanics, stylish action gameplay, and rock music, I can't recommend it enough. It's available for $29.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5, but you can also play it on Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you'll get access to it on both Xbox and PC, as well as on mobile and other compatible devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Hi-Fi Rush Update 9: Patch notes
Here are the full patch notes for Hi-Fi Rush's final Update 9 patch, taken directly from Bethesda's official website for the game.
We’ve released a patch today that takes care of some remaining issues.
Check out the changes, and thank you again for your support of Hi-Fi RUSH. You're all rockstars!
PATCH NOTES
PLAYSTATION 5 AND PC
- (Track 01) After reducing QA-1MIL to zero health, a collision issue would occur where players would fall out of the geometry. Chai will now properly fall to the ground, instead of into the abyss.
- (Track 01) Fixed an issue during the latter half of the 2D area whereby the camera would not follow Chai when the elevating lift falls.
- (Track 02) Corrected a defect whereby if you touched Rekka during her electric charge, your final Rank would not correlate with the Chorus score.
- Some issues would occur when trying to use Macaron’s Gravity Well while Rhythm Parrying an enemy. Well, this is now fixed!
- (Track 03) Cutscenes previously would not play correctly if a Health Tank was consumed during the fight with the HG-0G. Feel free to block a few more hits with your face because this bug is fixed!
- Fixed various text issues.
PLAYSTATION 5
- (Track 01) During the “Dodge Attack” tutorial, there was a discrepancy between what Smidge said and the text. The text will
.
ALL PLATFORMS
- (Track 01) We also QA’d some other issues during the QA-1MIL fight, particularly around transitions between phases.
- Fixed even more text bugs! They just don’t stop!
- Drink prices adjusted in Vandelay vending machines to reflect local currency conversion.
