Shock Cancellations and Layoffs: The Desperate Move of the 007 Creators to Save Their Next Game

IO Interactive has announced a new phase of corporate reorganization that includes the closure of its Istanbul studio and a series of layoffs, just a few months after the excellent commercial debut of 007 First Light, a title that reportedly sold approximately 1.5 million copies in the first 24 hours since launch.

The company had previously communicated the end of an external financial partnership related to the development of Project Fantasy, a partnership that was later identified as connected to Xbox Game Studios. With the conclusion of this agreement, IO Interactive explained that it could no longer support the project with its current organizational structure, making some internal changes necessary.

In a message published on its official channels, the studio confirmed that it has regained full control of the project and its related intellectual property. Consequently, Project Fantasy will continue to be developed and funded directly by the company, without the support of the previous partner.

IO Interactive wants to focus resources on certain projects. To ensure long-term sustainability, IO Interactive has decided to concentrate its resources on major internal projects, while reducing activities related to external initiatives and possible mobile spin-offs. This context includes both the closure of the Istanbul office and the initiation of separation procedures for an unspecified number of employees.

The company stated that the immediate priority is to provide support to the affected workers, also inviting the community and industry partners to report any professional opportunities for the staff affected by the reorganization.

In the statement, IO Interactive describes these decisions as difficult but necessary to preserve the future of the studio as one of the few AAA developers and publishers that are completely independent. The goal is to strengthen the company's position and create the best conditions for the development of Project Fantasy. The new title is described as an online fantasy RPG, inspired by tabletop role-playing games, with a strong focus on multiplayer and cooperative modes.