007 First Light’s developer lays off staff but claims its next franchise will continue
Game developer IO Interactive is laying off staff following the termination of a partnership with an external publisher for their upcoming project, 'Project Fantasy'. Despite the cuts, the studio maintains its commitment to the game and continues to celebrate the success of its recent title, '007 First Light'.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing instability and 'reset' trends within the gaming industry, particularly regarding publisher-developer relationships and project funding.
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.
The report balances the negative news of layoffs with the company's official statement and context about their recent successes.
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