IO Interactive held its first-ever showcase event last night as part of the Summer Game Fest.
As a massive Hitman fan, and a fan of the studio and how they seem to go about things these days. Particularly with the announcement of 007 First Light, too. I was really excited to see what it is they’ve been working on.
IO Interactive did not disappoint! So, here’s a quick breakdown of everything that was shown so you can catch-up at your own leisure.
IO Interactive showcase roundup
Hitman World of Assassination: A 25th Anniversary celebration and beyond
The critically acclaimed Hitman World of Assassination took centre stage with a host of announcements celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary and its impressive milestone of 80 million registered players!
- Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre Elusive Target: In a thrilling crossover, Mads Mikkelsen, reprising his role as the iconic villain Le Chiffre from Casino Royale, is now a new Elusive Target in Hitman World of Assassination.
Available until July 6th, this unique mission allows players to infiltrate a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Monarchique in Paris.
As a bonus, players who complete “The Banker” Elusive Target and have an IOI account will receive an exclusive suit for 007 First Light.
I’ve already bought and downloaded the update and will stream/review the elusive target as I have with all the others. Soon.
- Season of the High-Stakes Roadmap: A new summer roadmap for the “Season of the High-Stakes” was unveiled, promising continued support for the game with new content, including four new Featured Contracts Packs and three new Challenges.
Two additional Elusive Targets are also teased for later in 2025.
- Coming to iOS and New VR Content: Agent 47 is going mobile! Hitman World of Assassination is officially coming to iOS this summer, bringing the full game experience to a pocket-sized format. Additionally, more updates and content are planned for Hitman’s VR players, building on the success of its PlayStation VR2 launch.
- Co-Op Mode in Development: A surprising announcement revealed that IO Interactive is actively working on a co-op mode for Hitman World of Assassination, with more details to be shared at a later date.
This is insane to me. If I can find someone to dig in as much as I have, I can see this being an absolute blast.
- Hitman – The Board Game: For those who prefer tabletop stealth, IO Interactive announced a collaboration with MOOD Publishing to develop Hitman – The Board Game, which will soon be launching on Kickstarter.
- State of Survival Crossover: A crossover event with the mobile game State of Survival is currently running until July 8th, featuring Agent 47 as a playable character and other familiar faces from the Hitman universe.
007 First Light: A new beginning for James Bond
The highly anticipated 007 First Light received its reveal trailer, offering a tantalising first look at IO Interactive’s reimagined origin story for James Bond.
- Standalone Original Narrative: The game will feature an original, standalone narrative that explores Bond’s early years as a promising yet rebellious Royal Navy air crewman recruited into MI6. Players will experience his ascent through the rigorous training program for the newly resurrected 00 section.
- Next-Gen Immersion: 007 First Light is set to leverage NVIDIA GeForce RTX technologies for enhanced visuals.
- Full Gameplay Reveal This Summer: While the reveal trailer provided a cinematic glimpse, a full gameplay reveal is scheduled for later this summer.
- Wishlist Now & Exclusive Rewards: The game is available to wishlist on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Amazon.com). Signing up for an IOI Account will unlock the “On-Duty” Outfit Skin and the “Gilded Wraith” Weapon Skin for the game. 007 First Light is slated for a 2026 release.
MindsEye: High-intensity thriller from IOI Partners
Developed by Build A Rocket Boy and published by IOI Partners, MindsEye showcased new gameplay footage during the event, highlighting its unique blend of action and narrative.
- Seamless Transitions and Dynamic Combat: The gameplay demonstrated seamless transitions between cinematics and gameplay, featuring strategic combat, thrilling flying, and intense driving sequences.
- Companion Drone Mechanics: A closer look at the companion drone revealed its evolving abilities, allowing players to adapt their playstyle from aggressive to defensive, with options for hacking, stunning enemies, and accessing difficult-to-reach areas.
- Play.MindsEye and Monthly Content: The presentation delved into “Play.MindsEye,” a feature that allows players to seamlessly shift between the main narrative and different worlds and characters with new gameplay experiences dropping monthly. MindsEye is scheduled to launch on June 10, 2025.
Glacier Engine spotlight
IO Interactive’s proprietary game engine, Glacier, also received a dedicated spotlight. CTO Ulas Karademir showcased its capabilities, emphasising its role in enabling IOI to push technological boundaries and create its award-winning titles for over two decades.
The engine’s constant evolution was highlighted, with the 007 First Light trailer being entirely created in-engine.
The IOI Showcase delivered on its promise of updates and surprises, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the future of IO Interactive and its partners.
A re-run of the showcase is planned for June 7th at 4 PM BST on IOI’s Twitch channel, providing another opportunity to catch all the announcements and unlock Twitch drops.
Exciting times
IO Interactive have seemingly gone from strength to strength. With a game engine that they’ve mastered through years of work on it with the Hitman World of Assassination.
Working with other studios to publish games like MindsEye and being trusted with the James Bond licence. It’s incredible to see them grow and just kill it.
In a world where EA/Ubisoft/Microsoft have to close studios, lose staff and generally diminish their offerings. IO Interactive are bucking the trends.
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