The studio IO Interactive shared two pieces of news: one good and one bad. The good news is that the developers will indeed continue to work on the game codenamed Project Fantasy. The bad news is that it will not be without sacrifices.
007 First Light
As explained by IO Interactive, they were able to reclaim the rights to Project Fantasy after Microsoft decided to stop funding the project. Now, the studio will invest in the game's development with its own funds, without bringing in external partners. Apparently, IO Interactive will also publish it independently.
At the same time, the changes related to Project Fantasy have forced IO Interactive to make a tough decision. Earlier this month, the studio had already announced that they would lay off some employees, but now they have taken a further step. IO Interactive announced that it would dissolve its Istanbul division, which was opened just three years ago. They stated that this is necessary to ensure the long-term operation of the entire team.
It has not been specified how many IO Interactive employees will ultimately lose their jobs. Aside from the Istanbul division, IO Interactive also has offices in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, and Brighton.