You probably know by now that IO Interactive, the developers of the great Hitman series, has gone indie. But before it could leave Square Enix, some negotiations had to take place.
Unfortunately, there were some casualties.
When Square Enix decided to drop the studio, IO managed to keep the rights to the Hitman IP. They also kept Freedom Fighters, a pretty good third-person shooter released in 2003.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak has confirmed that Square Enix kept the rights to both Kane & Lynch, and Mini Ninjas.
Naturally, IO is currently focusing on the future of the Hitman series, with a new Hitman game coming in 2018. However, I was secretly hoping we’ll get to see a new Kane & Lynch game from the studio in the near future. Or ever. Sadly, that will probably never happen.
Even though IO has lost half of it’s IPs, Abrak reassured fans that “creating universes and characters is ‘in our blood’.” The means the after a second season of Hitman, there’s a chance we’ll get to see a brand new IP from IO.
Maybe a co-op shooter starring two birds on a crime spree called Crane & Finch?
What about Freedom Fighters, I hear a very small part of you ask? Well, Abrak didn’t really talk about it in the interview, but maybe there’s a reason the studio fought to maintain its rights over the title. It would be interesting to see a new game in the series with today’s technology and political climate.
Whichever game IO Interactive ends up making next, it’s bound to be interesting.
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