{"id":31212,"date":"2026-07-07T15:59:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/?p=31212"},"modified":"2026-07-07T15:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:59:10","slug":"hitman-developer-io-to-self-develop-project-fantasy-following-xbox-departure-shuts-down-istanbul-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/?p=31212","title":{"rendered":"Hitman Developer IO to Self-Develop Project Fantasy Following Xbox Departure, Shuts Down Istanbul Studio"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, the gaming sector was electrified by the announcement that Xbox had pulled its backing for Project Fantasy, a much-anticipated fantasy title being developed by IO Interactive, the creators behind the Hitman franchise. In spite of this hurdle, IO Interactive has assured both fans and stakeholders that they are &#8220;100% dedicated&#8221; to realizing this ambitious initiative. The company has committed to ensuring that &#8220;this magnificent universe will indeed come to life,&#8221; indicating their resolve to persist in developing the game.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent communication, IO Interactive revealed that they have successfully regained complete ownership of Project Fantasy. This achievement enables them to &#8220;continue to develop and finance it independently,&#8221; a step that highlights their dedication to the endeavor. However, this newfound independence comes with significant sacrifices. The company has announced the closure of their Istanbul office, a choice that underscores the financial and operational difficulties they contend with following Xbox&#8217;s exit.<\/p>\n<p>The shutting down of the Istanbul office is part of broader restructuring measures driven by the alteration in partnership dynamics. Although the specific number of layoffs remains undisclosed, the effects on the team and the local industry are evident. IO Interactive&#8217;s choice to move forward independently signifies both a strategic shift and a testament to their confidence in the prospects of Project Fantasy.<\/p>\n<p>As the gaming community observes closely, IO Interactive&#8217;s path with Project Fantasy will serve as a measure of resilience and creativity. The company is maneuvering through a challenging environment, juggling imaginative goals with the realities of independent development. Enthusiasts of the studio and the genre will be keen to witness how Project Fantasy transforms in the upcoming months, as IO Interactive seeks to fulfill their promise of an enthralling new universe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, the gaming sector was electrified by the announcement that Xbox had pulled its backing for Project Fantasy, a much-anticipated fantasy title being developed by IO Interactive, the creators behind the Hitman franchise. In spite of this hurdle, IO Interactive has assured both fans and stakeholders that they are &#8220;100% dedicated&#8221; to realizing this ambitious initiative. The company has committed to ensuring that &#8220;this magnificent universe will indeed come to life,&#8221; indicating their resolve to persist in developing the game.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent communication, IO Interactive revealed that they have successfully regained complete ownership of Project Fantasy. This achievement enables them to &#8220;continue to develop and finance it independently,&#8221; a step that highlights their dedication to the endeavor. However, this newfound independence comes with significant sacrifices. The company has announced the closure of their Istanbul office, a choice that underscores the financial and operational difficulties they contend with following Xbox&#8217;s exit.<\/p>\n<p>The shutting down of the Istanbul office is part of broader restructuring measures driven by the alteration in partnership dynamics. Although the specific number of layoffs remains undisclosed, the effects on the team and the local industry are evident. IO Interactive&#8217;s choice to move forward independently signifies both a strategic shift and a testament to their confidence in the prospects of Project Fantasy.<\/p>\n<p>As the gaming community observes closely, IO Interactive&#8217;s path with Project Fantasy will serve as a measure of resilience and creativity. The company is maneuvering through a challenging environment, juggling imaginative goals with the realities of independent development. Enthusiasts of the studio and the genre will be keen to witness how Project Fantasy transforms in the upcoming months, as IO Interactive seeks to fulfill their promise of an enthralling new universe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/havefunesports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}