IO Interactive is best known for its work on the Hitman franchise. At the moment, the studio is knee-deep in a new gaming adaptation of James Bond, but it appears this isn't the studio's only in-development project.
IO confirmed that it's working on a new game, specifically, a fantasy roleplaying title.
According to the long-time Hitman developer, the new project takes inspiration from gamebooks such as Fighting Fantasy, which allow readers to choose their own path.
"We are embarking on a new adventure. One that expands our creativity, our capabilities, and in some sense our identity. We are building a new world, a new IP: an online fantasy RPG," IO Interactive said in a statement. "A world and a game built from the core to entertain players and expand for many years to come. It feels familiar, yet at the same time IOI is going on a journey unlike any we have been on before."
A new adventure begins at IOI. Join the party and help us realize our vision for a bold new online fantasy RPG: https://t.co/NV4TKL1cuO pic.twitter.com/m2xDZCqbZx
— IO Interactive (@IOInteractive) February 28, 2023
The studio explained that the upcoming fantasy game will feature the diversity of roles found in the Fighting Fantasy books. The new game hopes to capture the experience of tabletop games.
IO Interactive adds, "For many, this journey is also a deeply personal one that began long before we started making games for a living – and it started with the fantasy genre. From the “Fighting Fantasy” books compelling you to choose your path, alone, against wizards, lizards, and thief kings. To the togetherness, camaraderie, agony, and delight found around the tabletop. For some it meant taking the role of a game master: Part storyteller, part AI opponent, part guide, part villain. For everyone around that table it meant creativity, imagination, building a world together, and a shared goal in creating a great game experience."
IO Interactive said that its studios based in Copenhagen and Malmo will be working on the upcoming fantasy project.
"This idea – that a diverse group of individuals with different skills and strengths can work together and become more than the sum of their parts – is what inspires us. It inspires the fantasy world we are building – and it inspires how we build it," the developer said.
Windows Central previously reported on the project back in 2021 codenamed "Dragon". The upcoming title will be a live-service multiplayer game with a connected-world RPG similar to Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft. The report suggests that the project will be co-developed by Microsoft, and may be an Xbox-exclusive title.
