Key Takeaways
- IO Interactive’s next game, codenamed Project 007, will feature a younger James Bond in an original story.
- The game is part of IO’s plans to potentially create a trilogy and leverage its experience working on the Hitman series.
- Project 007 stands to benefit from the lack of recent James Bond games and stealth games in general in the market.
The head of IO Interactive, the studio responsible for the popular stealth series Hitman, provided an update on the progress of its next game that’s sure to get James Bond fans excited. Codenamed Project 007, this new Bond game was first revealed in 2020, and is being fully funded, developed, and published by IO Interactive.
It’s been nearly four years since IO Interactive’s latest game, Hitman 3, was released to high praise, concluding the studio’s rebooted Hitman trilogy that began in 2016. Just last year, IO released Hitman: World of Assassination, a compilation that bundles 2016’s Hitman reboot, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3 all in one hub. Alongside Project 007, IO Interactive has also been working on a fantasy RPG known as Project Dragon in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios.
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In speaking with IGN, CEO of IO Interactive Hakan Abrak shared some new information about the studio’s upcoming Bond game, Project 007, revealing that it’ll introduce a younger James Bond in an original story. He also made it known that there are aspirations at the studio for Project 007 to eventually become a trilogy, and that development is going smoothly. Abrak cited the team’s work with Hitman as key experience for Project 007, saying, “We absolutely feel like 20 plus years of training for the agent fantasy, creating an agent that travels the world and globetrotting whatnot, has given us some know-how on that. But obviously James Bond is a different IP.”
IO’s Project 007 Will Introduce A Younger James Bond With An Original Story
During the interview, Abrak pointed out how the gaming landscape isn’t saturated with James Bond games, or stealth games in general, for that matter. The most recent Bond game, Activision’s 007 Legends, was released over a decade ago in 2012 and was panned by critics and audiences. Such a gap could prove to be a boon for IO Interactive’s Project 007, which could flourish in a landscape with fewer stealth games than there were ten years ago.
We absolutely feel like 20 plus years of training for the agent fantasy, creating an agent that travels the world and globetrotting whatnot, has given us some know-how on that. But obviously James Bond is a different IP
Naturally, Hollywood’s ongoing search for the next cinematic James Bond came up in Abrak’s interview as well. He said that despite the film franchise being on hold while it finds its next leading star, he believes the IP is still as popular as ever. Getting away from any of the franchise’s real-world likenesses and opting for an all-new, younger Bond could prove to be the right move as the Hollywood film franchise sorts itself out. As for IO’s Project Dragon, there haven’t been any recent updates from IO or Xbox, making it seem like Project 007 could be ready to go first.
Abrak didn’t divulge any info regarding when IO is planning Project 007‘s big reveal. Though, with Hitman 3 quickly approaching its fourth anniversary, it seems about time for IO to make a move with a reveal, perhaps at some point next year. Fans should keep an eye on IO Interactive’s social media for any updates or announcements to come.
IO Interactive
- Date Founded
- September 16, 1998
- Headquarters
- Copenhagen, Denmark