IO Interactive says it nearly had to close before pivoting to Hitman

IO Interactive told Game Informer it was in danger of having to close down before the studio decided to focus on Hitman for its 2016 release.

The studio recalled running into trouble in the early 2010s after a string of original titles such as Mini Ninjas and the Kane & Lynch duology. Hitman: Absolution (2012) did well commercially but failed to meet publisher Square Enix’s expectations, the outlet said.

Those pressures led to substantial layoffs in 2010 and 2013, cutting the team from roughly 200 employees to around 70.

GamesRadar noted that IO Interactive is now independent and thriving: the gamble to refocus paid off, with the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy described as standing “as one of the greatest games of all time,” and the studio currently working on a James Bond title called 007 First Light.

The immediate next step cited by the outlet is ongoing work on 007 First Light as IO continues post-Hitman development.

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