IO Interactive has been home for the Hitman series for over 20 years. After the release of Hitman 3, which will bring the World of Assassination Trilogy to an end, the developer will be shifting focus to a new title in the James Bond universe for the time being.
Speaking to Game Informer, Hitman 3 game director Mattias Engstrom says he thinks he’s “going to cry” when the game is finished, calling the project a “a ride and a joy to work on for this long.” It’s a sentiment echoed by the staff, including executive producer Forest Swartout Large.
Previously, IO Interactive ended up negotiating a buyout with Square Enix, and became an independent developer that retained rights to the Hitman IP, as are Informer points out. In fact, Hitman 3 marks the company’s first release as an independent studio before it sheds off to work on a new series. The team is, as such, very much attached to Hitman as a franchise.
But even so, CEO and co-owner Hakan Abrak notes that the developer doesn’t want to just have been seen for Hitman alone.
And of course, it’s important to note that as Abrak states, this is hardly the end of Hitman for IO. This is just the end of the current trilogy, and a certain part of Agent 47’s story. It will always be a bittersweet moment to say goodbye even for a moment for a series that you’ve worked on for so long, but at the very least we know there’s probably still way more to look forward to.
