IO Interactive, the developer behind the long-running Hitman series, has revealed that Agent 47's next adventure is still some way off as the Hitman series is "a little bit on hiatus."
In an interview with Eurogamer, IO Interactive co-owner Christian Elverdam spoke about the history of the Hitman series; the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Elderdam also touched on the future of the independent studio which was once owned by Square Enix.
It's well-known that IO Interactive is working on other projects these days. Back in 2020, the studio announced that it was working on a brand new James Bond game with an original story not based on any of the previous movies. Earlier this month the studio also announced another big project in the works: an online fantasy RPG, though its title is not yet known.
On the Hitman front, there have been no announcements of any new games, though the series has quietly undergone some changes over the last couple of years, the biggest of which being the recent rebranding of Hitman 3 as Hitman: World of Assassination. The rebranding pulled content from the first two games in the modern trilogy and offered players a one-stop shop for all of their Hitman needs. New updates have been released with fresh content and even a new single-player roguelike mode to keep the experience ticking along. But what about a new Hitman game? It'll be a little while, unfortunately.
"Right now a major, major new Hitman game: that's a little bit on hiatus," Elverdam told Eurogamer, explaining that the studio is currently working on another kind of agent that demands a lot of the developer's time. Naturally, this is the James Bond game announced a couple of years ago, though the project is still under lock and key with next to no information about it being released. Hopefully, with IO Interactive being so busy, it'll mean a reveal isn't too far off.
Fans shouldn't be too worried about Agent 47 getting sacked off for Mr. Bond, though, as Elverdam also said, "obviously we'll come back to beloved Agent 47. He's still very much in the heart of this company."
It's reassuring for fans, but at the same time, knowing that a new game in the series is potentially years away will still sting a little. Though, if one wanted to grasp at straws, optimistic fans could see the wording of no "major" game and hope for maybe a "minor" game? Never say never... again.