Hitman and 007 First Light developer IO Interactive has confirmed that it has "regained full ownership" of its upcoming online RPG, Project Fantasy, with plans to continue development "and fund it independently amongst our other projects" after Xbox reportedly pulled funding from it.
Last week, IO Interactive announced that "a relationship with an external partner on our own IP, Project Fantasy, has come to an end," and although the company said it'd "remain 100% committed" to the IP, there would be "short-term consequences, including staffing decisions." At the time, Bloomberg reported that it was Xbox that had pulled out of a deal to fund and publish the game – a claim IO Interactive didn't publicly confirm, but would hardly be surprising given yesterday's news of 3,200 Xbox employees getting laid off throughout fiscal year 2027.
