We have known officially since February that the Hitman developers are working on a fantasy title. Now there were interesting hints of a possible console exclusivity.
Going through the internal documents currently emerging as part of Microsoft’s FTC inquiries into the Activision Blizzard acqu isition is extremely exciting. In doing so, some information comes to light.
Currently, the main focus is on documents that revolve around the possible takeover of other studios. The Hitman makers from IO Interactive also appear on a watch list, which were apparently considered as a possible target for a takeover by Microsoft.
No wonder, IOI is not an uninteresting studio with the strong Hitman brand, its own technology and some new projects in the pipeline. In addition to an agent game with the code name Project 007, this also includes a fantasy role-playing game, currently called Project Drag on. Its development was officially confirmed by IO Interactive in February.
What is exciting is not that the title appears in the list of IOI games, but which platforms are named for the game. According to the current status, Project Dragon appears to be console-exclusive for the Xbox Series X/S and for the PC. So it seems like Microsoft bagged a deal early on. For Project 007 there is still no information regarding a possible platform.
The comments on the pros and cons of a possible takeover are also interesting. There it is also confirmed that Project Dragon is being developed in cooperation with Xbox Game Studios. Incidentally, the documents are publicly accessible as part of the ongoing litigation with the FTC. You can find the information relating to IO Interactive on Page 33 of the document.
Hitman 3 has now been officially renamed Hitman: World of Assassination and will be merged with its two predecessors in terms of content.
