For years, the developers of Hitman were only known for their Agent 47. With their successful game to James Bond, they showed the world that they have more to offer. But their next title has problems.
What kind of game is this? Not much is known yet about Project Fantasy. The multiplayer online role-playing game is supposed to be the next big title for IO and is aimed at MMORPG. The developers explain this on the project’s website.
They themselves are fans of the genre, which is why they want to create such a game. Because such a game costs a lot of money, they have already secured Microsoft as a publisher during the development. However, due to the major layoffs, they recently backed out, which hits the studio hard.
For this reason, the developers have now made difficult decisions to ensure the survival of the project.
Here you can watch a trailer for the latest game from IO Interactive:
Studio Closure and Cuts
What solution have they found? Even when Microsoft backed out as a publisher, the developers of IO Interactive made it clear that they still believe in their Project Fantasy. Therefore, they decided to reclaim the IP and the entire project from Microsoft.
At the same time, this means significant cuts for the developers. They announced on X.com that they must close their studio in Istanbul for this reason. Furthermore, a balance must be found for the remaining team between developing new titles and supporting existing projects.
Thus, they decided to cancel external projects and mobile games and instead focus on the big titles. They promise to help affected employees with job searches, but in the current developer landscape, this will likely be difficult.
What does this mean for the future? Between the lines, it seems that IO Interactive is mainly focusing on the further development of Hitman: World of Assassinations and 007 First Light. Since the next 007 title is not coming from them anyway, the next big game will likely be Project Fantasy.
One conceivable path here might also be to enter some kind of early access or live-service model, where the game world is gradually expanded. Looking at Hitman, one can see that the developers already have a lot of experience with this.
What will really come is still unclear. Fans of Hitman and 007 First Light should not worry just yet.
Can you imagine an MMORPG from the creators of Hitman? Feel free to let us know in the comments! How the new game from IO Interactive is received by MeinMMO expert Benedikt Schlotmann, you can find out here: 007: First Light feels like a ride with the German train, only with a gun and MI6
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