IO Interactive Has a Fantasy Game in the Works—and It's Moving Forward
Between 007 First Light and the next chapter of its creative expansion, IO Interactive isn't sitting idle. The Danish studio, known for redefining the contract killer game with the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy, confirms that a fantasy project is indeed in active development. Few details have surfaced yet, but the message is clear: this isn't vaporware. Here's what we know, and what it reveals about a studio that refuses to be pigeonholed into a single genre.
A studio that looks beyond its franchises
IO Interactive built its reputation on a devastatingly effective formula: play a bald assassin in sprawling sandboxes where every solution is valid. The Hitman World of Assassination trilogy (2016–2021) proved the studio commands systemic level design better than almost anyone. But over the past few years, the Danish outfit has been placing multiple bets: 007 First Light is the most visible proof, with narrative and action ambitions that clearly move beyond familiar territory.
And apparently that's not enough. IO Interactive confirms a fantasy project is in development at the studio—and it's thriving. No formal announcement, no trailer, no release window disclosed, but the signal sent is unambiguous: the project exists, it's progressing, and the team is working on it.
What do we actually know about this fantasy project?
Very little, to be honest. IO Interactive hasn't opened the information floodgates. What's leaked out is essentially confirmation that the project is alive and healthy internally—which in the video game industry is never a given, especially for a studio juggling at least two major productions simultaneously.
The fantasy genre represents territory radically different from IO's usual playgrounds. No spies, no contract killers in suits: we're talking about a world presumably built from scratch, with its own rules and cosmology. It's real creative risk, openly embraced by a studio that clearly decided it won't define itself solely by Agent 47.
IO Interactive: A studio in transition
This fantasy project fits a coherent trajectory. Since wrapping up Hitman 3 in 2021 and launching Hitman World of Assassination in 2023—which consolidated all three episodes into a single platform—IO Interactive has made clear its intention to diversify its portfolio. Taking on the James Bond license with 007 First Light is the most concrete evidence so far.
Managing two major projects in parallel, including one in a completely new genre for the studio, speaks to an internal structure that has grown. IO Interactive opened a second studio in Barcelona in recent years, giving it expanded production capacity to run multiple projects simultaneously.
What it means—or doesn't—for Hitman fans
The burning question: is this creative expansion coming at the expense of a potential new Hitman installment? Hard to say. IO Interactive has announced nothing about Agent 47's future post-World of Assassination, and the franchise remains one of the studio's most recognizable properties. But it would be naive to think the studio will indefinitely stick to a single character when it clearly has the means and ambition to explore something else.
For now, the fantasy project remains a faceless promise. But in an industry where silent cancellations are routine, a public confirmation of healthy progress—however sparse—matters. IO Interactive is playing it minimalist on transparency, and that's already more than most publishers offer on their projects in the works.