Xbox’s recent closing of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse studios is yet the strangest episode in this season of what Microsoft’s gaming division is supposed to do. From one bad decision to one mismanaged announcement to yet another bad decision, these closures are sure to leave a permanent stain on Xbox’s long and patchy history.
Here’s the sad part, though. We already have a date to pay tribute to the fallen studios, which will also mark the end of a much-beloved game’s life.
August 7th Marks the End of Mighty Doom and Maybe Xbox’s Era of Poor Decisions
Being a studio at Xbox today is presumably analogous to playing through Elden Ring‘s endgame with base stats while your two friends relax and play a farming sim in the background. Perhaps even this strange analogy is too lenient for what Xbox is doing to its studios, as, at the very least, you can come back to life in video games.
To be honest, the closure of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and the other studios is a reality no analogy can truly compare to—an event that reeks of lies and hypocrisy on Xbox’s part. Alpha Dog Games, however, is having it a little rougher than others. Their mobile darling, Mighty Doom, is slated to remain in service till August 7th, after which the game will shut down for good.
Many in the Doom community deeply loved Mighty Doom, making its closure a deeply saddening event. Despite some of its issues, the game remained promising in the community’s eyes, with most players wishing for a longer lifecycle. For now, unfortunately, the most that one can do is to remember the tiny but mighty game that once was, alongside the 4 studios that once were on August 7th.
Microsoft Needs to Sit Down and Get It Together With a Massive Revamp
Since 2013, Xbox has essentially been a small rounding-off error in Microsoft’s massive books. However, whatever their strategy for throwing billions of dollars into acquiring massive studios and relying solely on Game Pass subscriptions was, it is no longer giving any pay-offs.
The worst part is how Microsoft is keenly aware of the same, something that is now leading to the closure of beloved studios like Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. For once, it isn’t even about the console wars or being stuck in third place; it’s about how Xbox’s failed attempt at a kind-of-but-not-really monopoly has impacted itself and the industry as a whole.
Not to mention the severe lack of any marketing push behind any of its games. Hellblade 2 has been touted as one of Xbox’s biggest releases, and barely anyone knows that it comes out in two weeks. Keeping all these things in mind, it’s clear that something is going terribly wrong at Xbox, with it turning into a tumor in Microsoft’s somewhat shiny body.
What do you think about Xbox’s current direction, though? Do you think it can make a comeback in the near future? Let us know in the comments below.
