IO Interactive has revealed new details of the upcoming 007 agent game. This will be a completely original project, for which the studio will double its staff. Now the company employs 200 people.
The plans of IO Interactive were told by its head Hakan Abrak in an interview with the Danish edition of Dr.
He clarified that Project 007 will not be based on any of the films of the franchise released over the past 60 years. Instead, developers create their own game universe based on motives, in which several more games may appear later.
“We were allowed to make our own digital Bond, which will not be based on any of the actors. We came up with a completely original story that could easily be turned into a trilogy,” said Abrak.
The company is opening a new studio in Sweden specifically to work on Project 007. In the next couple of years, IO Interactive plans to double its staff to 400 employees.
Hakan also noted that the studio had been trying to get a franchise license for several years. Last year, the developers finally presented their vision to Barbara Broccoli, the head of EON Productions, which produces films about Agent 007.
Initially, she was skeptical about the idea, since the previous games in the franchise, in her opinion, contained too much violence. However, in the end she gave the studio a chance. “Our story, our concept of the Hitman universe and our vision of a gaming Bond captivated Barbara,” said Abrak.
IO Interactive makes a big bet on the James Bond game. For developers, this is literally the embodiment of a childhood dream and the first new IP after the completion of the last Hitman trilogy.
Nothing is still known about the release date and genre orientation of Project 007. The last Bond game, 007 Legends, was published by Activision and released in 2012.