Overview
- IO Interactive said Tuesday that it has regained full ownership of Project Fantasy and will continue to develop and fund the online fantasy RPG independently.
- The studio announced the closure of its Istanbul office and has started a process of layoffs that will affect an unspecified number of employees.
- Bloomberg reported that Xbox was the external partner that withdrew funding for Project Fantasy, a claim IOI has not publicly confirmed but multiple outlets have repeated.
- IOI framed the moves as necessary to protect its long-term status as an independent AAA developer and to refocus resources on core internal titles like Hitman and 007 First Light.
- The change comes during a wider reshaping of Microsoft’s games business that has led to large job cuts and studio sales, and it could push IOI to explore new publishing or funding options while staff seek new roles.