IO Interactive Regains Ownership of Project Fantasy After Xbox Pulls Funding
Xbox has pulled funding from IO Interactive's online fantasy RPG, Project Fantasy, allowing the developer to regain full ownership of the project. IOI will continue working on the game independently, but its Istanbul studio will be closed and some workers will be laid off.
Key points
- IO Interactive, the developer of Hitman and 007: First Light, has regained full ownership of Project Fantasy after Xbox pulled funding from the project.
- The studio will continue working on Project Fantasy independently, but its Istanbul studio will be closed and some workers will be laid off.
- IOI's statement mentioned 'making changes and proposed changes' that will impact 'colleagues who have been a meaningful part' of its team.
- The closure of the Istanbul studio will leave IOI with its Copenhagen headquarters and other satellite studios in Barcelona, Brighton, and Malmö.
- IOI previously warned it would face layoffs as a result of Xbox's decision to end funding for Project Fantasy.
IO Interactive, the developer of Hitman and 007: First Light, has regained full ownership of its online fantasy RPG, Project Fantasy, after Xbox pulled funding from the project. This move comes amid Microsoft's major restructuring, which has seen thousands of layoffs and the offloading of studios.
According to IOI's statement, the studio will continue working on Project Fantasy independently, but its Istanbul studio will be closed and some workers will be laid off. This decision is part of a larger restructuring effort, which will also impact 'colleagues who have been a meaningful part' of the team.
The closure of the Istanbul studio will leave IOI with its Copenhagen headquarters and other satellite studios in Barcelona, Brighton, and Malmö. IOI had previously warned it would face layoffs as a result of Xbox's decision to end funding for Project Fantasy.
The news has sparked concerns about the future of IOI's projects, including Project Fantasy. However, the studio remains committed to continuing work on the game independently. The exact number of workers who will be laid off remains unclear, but IOI has assured its community that it will continue to develop and fund the project independently.
Sources
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