Following break from Square Enix, Hitman developer goes independent

They still have the Hitman rights

After Square Enix announced that it was dropping subsidiary IO Interactive, all eyes were on the Hitman series. Sure IO has done a few extra projects in the past like Mini Ninjas (funnily enough I was playing this on PC yesterday) and the Kane & Lynch series, but Hitman is their bread and butter, and it could have been lost to the nether forever.

Thankfully, Square Enix has seemingly worked with IO to release them without too much difficulty, as they’re now an independent studio and have retained the rights to the Hitman IP by way of a buyout. The company’s CEO calls it a “watershed moment,” and they now have absolute control over the studio and the IP. Given that the Hitman series is still out and is eliminating the episodic element, it seems like they still have life in them yet. And there’s always room for a Hitman Season 2.

The Future of IO [IO]