Hitman developer IO Interactive is working on a new fantasy RPG, and it may be an Xbox exclusive, at least for a time. The news comes from a document that outlines Microsoft’s upcoming releases, which was submitted to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission during hearings to halt the Xbox-Activision deal (thanks, Eurogamer).
The document lists IO Interactive’s published games for the last two decades. Alongside the upcoming James Bond game – which has a “TBD” listing next to the intended platform – is Project Dragon, which is apparently IOI’s codename for their upcoming RPG. The sheet lists Project Dragon’s platforms as PC and X|S only, where other games, including the Hitman trilogy, were multiplatform.
The publishing list is part of Microsoft’s assessment of studios the company might try to acquire and includes potential risks and rewards. The reason behind Project Dragon’s exclusivity is in the “rationale” column. Microsoft says IO Interactive is developing Project Dragon with Xbox Game Studios, which seemingly confirms a report from Eurogamer in 2021 that suggested Xbox was funding the game’s development.
Project Dragon is also apparently an RPG-slash-shooter set in medieval times, a genre mix you don’t typically see.
Whether an IO Interactive acquisition is still on the table or Xbox is waiting to see how Project Dragon performs is unclear. Other documentation Microsoft submitted to the FTC shows the Xbox maker considered purchasing dozens of other studios, including Sega, though the deals never materialized.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
