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007 First Light’s developer lays off staff but claims its next franchise will continue

007 First Light’s developer lays off staff but claims its next franchise will continue
The Verge Tuesday 30 June 2026, 18:14 UTC By Jay Peters 1 min read
Key Points

IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series and 007 First Light, announced that it is laying off staff after a relationship with an "external partner" on its next big franchise, Project Fantasy, "has come to an end." IO has described Project Fantasy as an "online fantasy RPG", and Kotaku reports that Microsoft, which is planning significant cuts as part of a broader "reset" of the Xbox business, was going to be the game's publisher. It's unclear how many people will be affected by...

IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series and 007 First Light, announced that it is laying off staff after a relationship with an "external partner" on its next big franchise, Project Fantasy, "has come to an end." IO has described Project Fantasy as an "online fantasy RPG", and Kotaku reports that Microsoft, which is planning significant cuts as part of a broader "reset" of the Xbox business, was going to be the game's publisher.

It's unclear how many people will be affected by IO's "staffing decisions." The company says "we are fully committed to supporting those affected through this challenging transition." IO also notes that …

Read the full story at The Verge.

IO Interactive (ORG) Project Fantasy (ORG) IO (LOCATION) Kotaku (ORG) Microsoft (ORG) Xbox (ORG)
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