Xbox No Longer Acts as Publisher for Project Fantasy - IO Interactive’s New Online Project

Last month, IO Interactive released their new project, 007 First Light, which turned out to be a major success, as demonstrated by sales of 3 million copies. However, a recent report confirmed that the company is facing some challenges regarding the future of their upcoming online project, Project Fantasy.

On their social media, IO Interactive confirmed that the studio experienced layoffs after an “external partner” pulled out of the game’s production. The game is still in development, but interestingly, this announcement came almost simultaneously with reports that Microsoft is considering shutting down as many as five of its internal studios. This has led to speculation that Xbox Game Studios was supposed to be the publisher for Project Fantasy—which is now confirmed by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. You can see IO Interactive’s official statement below:

Dear gaming community,

For a good while, it has been all positive news from IO Interactive. We remain humbled and honored by the response to our latest outing with a young, unproven Bond. A bold new story and a take on one of the most famous characters in entertainment, which the world has embraced with love.

However, today we have to share some more downbeat news. A relationship with an external partner on our own IP, Project Fantasy, has come to an end. This means we have to adapt to this new reality and its short-term consequences, including staffing decisions, which is what is happening as we write this update, and we are fully committed to supporting those affected through this challenging transition.

Project Fantasy is a game, a world, and an IP that we absolutely love and remain 100% committed to, now and in the future. This wonderful universe will see the light of day.

No specific details about Project Fantasy are currently available, but IO Interactive confirmed it will be a team-based MMORPG, inspired by Fighting Fantasy, and IO Interactive aims to incorporate unique features into the game—elements they previously used in the Hitman series. The potential release date and platforms remain unknown as well.

Are you disappointed that Xbox will not serve as a publisher for Project Fantasy, the IO Interactive’s new title? Share your thoughts in the comments below!