For the past 23 years, IO Interactive has delivered one of the more consistently good game franchises out there. Outside of 2012’s Hitman: Absolution, every mainline Hitman game has been outstanding. And while the older games are considered cult classics, the most recent trilogy gives those great games a run for their money.
After the recent rebranding of the trilogy to Hitman World of Assassination, the developers are taking a break from the franchise that built the studio.
“Right now a major, major new Hitman game: That’s a little bit on hiatus, as we’re building another agent fantasy that’s also taking up a lot of our time,” said IO Interactive chief creative officer Christian Elverdam in a lengthy interview with Eurogamer.
Elverdam is referring to IO Interactive’s current development of a new James Bond game.
As for the Hitman folks are playing right now? “I hope we can have our cake and eat it too, in the sense that we have such a wonderful platform where we can keep experimenting with what the formula can do and what people can expect of it,” says Elverdam.
Elverdam also says at some point the studio will take everything they’ve accomplished in the most recent trilogy and see where they can build on that with an entirely new Hitman game. “And then at some point, obviously, as any creative, it would be nice to then go in and say, ‘Okay, well, with everything we’ve learned, what would that be if we had to re-articulate a sandbox – what would that look like?’”
Now, when might that happen? It’s probably going to be a while. Right now, IO Interactive will need to get the new James Bond game out the door first. The developer’s trio of studios is also working on a new Fantasy Online RPG.
I’m pumped to see what the studio can bring to a new genre. There are plenty of Fantasy Online RPGs out there, but IO Interactive is one of the most talented studios out there.
Check out the entire Eurogamer interview for more, including the role Hitman: Absolution played in steering the studio back to its roots for the franchise.