Hitman studio IO Interactive has opened a studio in Turkey, its fourth studio to date.
Located in Maslak, Sariyer, IOI Istanbul was established “to establish a AAA game development center in the region and create unique gaming experiences for our players around the world,” IO said in a statement.
It added: “Our team in Istanbul will play a significant role in our ambitious productions: Project 007, Project Fantasy and Hitman.”
The Hitman reference is particularly significant because earlier this week the studio told gamers not to expect a new Hitman game anytime soon.
Instead, the studio plans to continue developing Hitman: World of Assassination, Its a rebranded version of Hitman 3 which includes content from the previous two Hitman titles.
In its IOI Istanbul announcement, the developer added: “Thanks to the booming technology and mobile development scene, Istanbul was identified as a region full of talent that is fiercely passionate, development-oriented and technically creative.
“Istanbul is also a rich historical city that offers a strong cultural presence, historic architecture, amazing views of the Bosphorus, and a vibrant and diverse culture.
“These elements made the opening of the studio in Istanbul a strong step forward in IOI’s efforts to make impressive games for all platforms and for everyone, and establish a foothold for AAA development in Turkey.”
IO Interactive was first founded in Copenhagen in 1998 and opened a second studio in Malmö, Sweden in 2019.
This was followed by a third in Barcelona in 2021, and the new Istanbul announcement brought the developer’s number of studios to four.
IO revealed in November 2020 that it was I am working on an officially licensed James Bond game. Under the working name Project 007, it contains the original James Bond origin story.
Last month, it also announced that it was I’m working on an online fantasy RPG. Like its Hitman and James Bond projects, the game is in development across all its studios.
“We’re building a new world, a new IP – an online fantasy role-playing game,” the company said. “A world and game built from the ground up to entertain players and expand for many years to come.”
