Hitman developer IO Interactive announced last November their next project is a James Bond title that will serve as an origin story for the iconic spy. In a recent interview with IGN, IO shed more light on how they’re building the game’s narrative and, most importantly, how it’s shaping its own take on 007. 

In an episode of IGN Unfiltered, IO CEO Hakan Abrak spoke with Ryan McCaffrey and confirmed that its Bond is 100% original and thus won’t use any existing movie likenesses. The studio is also drawing inspiration from Bond’s entire history, from the books to the films, to craft a whole new story untethered to any existing narratives. This approach speaks to the team’s desire for creating a version of Bond that is, his Abrak’s words, “A Bond for the gaming industry”. To learn more, you should visit the link above (or below) to read quotes from the full interview. 

James Bond is the first time IO has tackled a licensed property, and with a franchise as cheshried as 007, the team clearly isn’t taking it lightly. The studio may reportedly double in size to help bring the game to life, which makes even more sense after Abrak stated that their 007 story could easily turn into a trilogy of games. Whether their James Bond title winds up being one game or several, I’m excited to see what they come up with, especially after their stellar work with the Hitman series. 

Speaking of which, just because IO is hard at work on 007 doesn’t mean they’re totally done with Hitman 3. Even though it’s the final game in the World of Assassination trilogy, there’s months worth of post-lauch support themed after the seven deadly sins that will be rolling out each month for the rest of the year. 

Are you excited for IO’s take on 007? Are there any mechanics from Hitman you’d like to see implemented? Let us know in the comments! 

[Source: IGN]