After almost four years, the mysterious James Bond project Project 007 from Hitman developer IO Interactive is still in the works. In a recent interview, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak revealed that the project is progressing well and will feature an original take on Bond.
IGN spoke with Abrak, who hinted at a potential trilogy starring this new Bond character, unconnected to any previous storylines.
Abrak stated, “What’s exciting about that project is that we actually got to do an original story. It’s not a gamification of a movie. It’s completely beginning and becoming a story, hopefully for a big trilogy out there in the future. And equally important and exciting, it’s a new Bond. It’s a Bond we built from ground up for gamers, creating a young Bond for gamers that they can call their own and grow with.”
With their experience from the Hitman series, IO Interactive has decades of expertise in developing games about secret agents. While it’s not clear if the new Bond game will feature the stealth gameplay of the Hitman series, Abrak teased that more details would be shared soon.
This update provides the first significant information on Project 007 since the release of a teaser trailer in 2020. IO Interactive’s earlier announcement described it as a “wholly original James Bond origin story,” with the studio both developing and publishing the game.
This will be the first James Bond game since 2012’s 007 Legends by Activision, offering playable versions of missions from the films. Notably, the classic Nintendo multiplayer shooter GoldenEye 007 is still accessible via Xbox or Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
IO Interactive announced its collaboration with Build a Rocket Boy, founded by former Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies, to publish its first game, MindEye. Nevertheless, IO clarified that they are not looking to become a regular publisher unless the project is exceptional.
Abrak stated, “It needs to be something that we see ourselves in, not only logically but also emotionally. So I cannot rule out that we don’t do something else.”
