Hi-Fi Rush fans woke up to bad news this week. The game’s incredible original soundtrack has been completely removed from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music without any warning or explanation. For a game where music is literally the entire point, having the soundtrack suddenly disappear from streaming platforms is more than just inconvenient. It’s genuinely concerning about what this means for the game’s future.
The removal was first spotted by Reddit user Xthebest26 on the Hi-Fi Rush subreddit, who noticed that all the game’s music had been wiped from Spotify. Fans who had the tracks saved in their playlists found everything grayed out and unplayable. This isn’t just a Spotify glitch either. Apple Music and YouTube Music also show no trace of the official soundtrack, confirming this is a widespread delisting rather than a platform-specific issue.
Why This Matters More Than Most Delistings
Hi-Fi Rush isn’t just any game. It’s a rhythm action experience where everything moves to the beat of the music. The soundtrack, composed by Shuichi Kobori and featuring contributions from multiple artists, is fundamental to the game’s identity. Players loved jamming out to tracks like “Invaders Must Die” and “The Beacon” while fighting robots in perfectly choreographed combat sequences.
The game launched as a surprise shadowdrop during an Xbox Developer Direct in January 2023, immediately earning critical acclaim for its unique blend of Devil May Cry-style action with rhythm game mechanics. The soundtrack was such a hit that fans regularly listened to it outside the game, using it as workout music, study playlists, or just background tunes for their daily routines.
Having that suddenly ripped away without explanation feels like losing a piece of the game itself, even for people who still own and play Hi-Fi Rush. The soundtrack was distributed by Bethesda on these platforms, which adds another layer of complexity to why it disappeared.
The Krafton Acquisition Mess
To understand why the soundtrack might have vanished, you need to know the complicated history of Hi-Fi Rush’s ownership. Microsoft originally published the game through Bethesda after acquiring ZeniMax Media. Then in May 2024, Microsoft shocked the gaming world by shutting down Tango Gameworks entirely, despite Hi-Fi Rush being one of their most critically successful releases.
Thankfully, South Korean publisher Krafton swooped in during August 2024 to acquire Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP, saving the studio from complete closure. The acquisition seemed like a happy ending at the time. The talented developers would keep their jobs, and Hi-Fi Rush would live on for potential sequels and continued support.
But the reality has been messier than anyone hoped. The soundtrack delisting is likely related to copyright and distribution rights transferring from Microsoft and Bethesda to Krafton. These transitions aren’t instant. Legal paperwork, licensing agreements, and distribution contracts all need to be sorted out, which can take months.
The problem is that nobody from Tango Gameworks or Krafton has said anything publicly about the soundtrack removal. No statement acknowledging the issue, no timeline for when it might return, nothing. That silence is what’s making fans nervous.
Krafton’s Controversial AI Pivot
Adding to the concern is Krafton’s recent announcement that they’re becoming an AI-first company. In October 2025, Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han revealed the publisher is investing 100 billion won, roughly $70 million, into AI initiatives across the entire business. This includes everything from management systems and HR to research and development.
For fans of a game as vibrant, hand-crafted, and artistically unique as Hi-Fi Rush, hearing the new owner talk about AI-generated content is understandably worrying. The first game was explicitly anti-corporate megacorporation in its themes, making the irony even more bitter. Will future Hi-Fi Rush projects feature AI-generated art or music? Nobody knows, but the optics aren’t great.
Krafton is also embroiled in a lawsuit with the former co-founders of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2. The executives claim they were fired to avoid paying a $250 million bonus, while Krafton says they were terminated for quality concerns. Between that drama and the AI-first announcement, Krafton’s reputation among gamers has taken some serious hits lately.
The Physical Release That Never Came
The soundtrack delisting is just the latest in a series of frustrating situations for Hi-Fi Rush fans. Limited Run Games announced a physical release for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X back in February 2024, alongside the game’s PS5 port announcement. That was almost two years ago, and there’s still no release date or preorder information.
Limited Run Games went silent for an entire year on the project, offering no updates despite fan inquiries. After Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, there were fears the physical release would be canceled entirely. The studio’s official account reassured fans it would still happen, but here we are in November 2025 with nothing concrete to show for it.
For collectors who want a physical copy of one of the generation’s most unique games, the endless waiting is exhausting. Combined with the soundtrack delisting, it feels like Hi-Fi Rush is slowly fading away despite being saved from closure.
You Can Still Buy It On Steam
There is one silver lining in all this chaos. The Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack is still available for purchase on Steam. If you’re desperate to have legal access to these tracks, that’s currently your only official option. It’s not ideal since most people prefer streaming to outright purchases, but at least it’s something.
The game itself also remains available on all platforms where it launched. You can still buy and play Hi-Fi Rush on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. There’s been no indication that the game itself will be delisted, which would be a far bigger disaster given the licensed music tracks featured throughout.
Those licensed tracks include songs from Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, The Black Keys, and other major artists. When Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, one of the biggest fears was that the licensing agreements would expire and force the game to be delisted permanently. Krafton’s acquisition presumably secured those rights, but the recent soundtrack removal has reignited those concerns.
What Probably Happened
The most likely explanation is that this is a temporary issue while rights transfer between companies. When Bethesda distributed the soundtrack on streaming platforms, they did so under agreements tied to Microsoft’s ownership. Now that Krafton owns Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP, those agreements need to be renegotiated or transferred.
This process can take months depending on the complexity of the contracts and how many parties are involved. It’s not uncommon for content to temporarily disappear from streaming platforms during ownership transitions. The RWBY soundtracks, for example, were removed during that property’s transition between companies but eventually returned once everything was sorted legally.
The frustrating part is that Krafton and Tango Gameworks could easily reassure fans with a simple statement explaining this. A tweet saying “We’re working on getting the soundtrack back on streaming platforms, please be patient” would go a long way toward calming nerves. The radio silence suggests either they don’t realize fans are concerned or there are complications they’re not ready to discuss publicly.
FAQs
Why was the Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack removed from streaming platforms?
Neither Tango Gameworks nor Krafton has officially explained the removal, but it’s likely related to licensing and distribution rights transferring from Microsoft and Bethesda to Krafton after they acquired the studio and IP.
Can I still listen to the Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack legally?
Yes, the original soundtrack is still available for purchase on Steam. However, it’s no longer accessible on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music.
Is Hi-Fi Rush being delisted completely?
No, the game itself remains available on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC through Steam and Epic Games Store. Only the soundtrack has been removed from streaming platforms.
Who owns Hi-Fi Rush now?
Krafton, the South Korean publisher behind PUBG, acquired Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP from Microsoft in August 2024 after Microsoft initially shut down the studio.
Will the soundtrack come back to streaming platforms?
It’s possible this is temporary while legal issues are resolved, similar to what happened with RWBY soundtracks during that property’s ownership transition. However, no official timeline has been provided.
What is Krafton’s AI-first policy?
In October 2025, Krafton announced it’s becoming an AI-first company, investing $70 million into AI initiatives across management, HR, research and development. This has raised concerns among fans about potential AI use in future games.
When will the physical release of Hi-Fi Rush happen?
Limited Run Games announced physical editions for PS5 and Xbox Series X in February 2024, but nearly two years later there’s still no release date or preorder information available.
Conclusion
The Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack removal from streaming platforms is frustrating on multiple levels. It’s inconvenient for fans who loved jamming to these tracks. It’s concerning given the game’s complicated ownership history and recent controversies surrounding Krafton. And it’s symptomatic of the larger problems facing games preservation when corporate ownership changes hands.
Hi-Fi Rush was one of 2023’s biggest surprises, a game that reminded everyone why we fell in love with video games in the first place. It had style, personality, incredible music, and gameplay that made you feel like a rock star destroying robots to the beat. Watching it get passed between corporate owners who may or may not understand what made it special has been painful.
The hope is that this soundtrack situation gets resolved quickly and quietly. Maybe in a few weeks or months, the tracks will reappear on Spotify and Apple Music without fanfare, and we can all go back to enjoying them. But until Krafton or Tango Gameworks says something publicly, fans are left wondering what’s happening behind closed doors and whether their favorite rhythm action game has a secure future.
For now, if you want legal access to the Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack, head to Steam and purchase it before that option potentially disappears too. And maybe save those tracks locally, just in case. In an industry where digital ownership is increasingly precarious, sometimes the only way to guarantee you can enjoy something is to keep a copy yourself.