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HISTORICAL FACTS: Io interactive - Caught on Camera

007: First Light was originally going to be less about James Bond and more of 'an ensemble piece', with 'all the 00s working together, as they do in Slovakia'

"You had the different agents working together."

PC Gamer

'These are hard, but necessary decisions' — Xbox pulled funding for Io Interactive's 'Project Fantasy' but the developer will continue working on the game independently

After Xbox pulled funding for its online fantasy RPG, IOI has announced that it will close one of its studios and lay off an unspecified number of staff.

TechRadar

IO Interactive regains full ownership of Project Fantasy from XBOX, but closes one of its studios

IO Interactive has regained full ownership of Project Fantasy after Xbox ended its funding partnership. The studio says development will continue independently, but it has also confirmed the closure of its Istanbul studio as part of broader restructuring.

Windows Central

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IO Interactive says Project Fantasy isn't dead, but confirms that layoffs are happening

This isn't the sort of thing that should be happening a month after the release of a major, successful game like 007 First Light, but such is the way of the games industry.

PC Gamer

Hitman and 007 First Light dev IO Interactive regains "full ownership" of its mysterious online RPG project after Xbox reportedly pulled funding

Project Fantasy will be developed and funded "independently amongst our other projects," IO Interactive says

GamesRadar

'007 First Light' Sequel Speculations Claim Its Release Is Very Far Away—Why?

IO Interactive's 007 First Light is getting a sequel, but speculations claim that its release will be very far away.

Player One

PlayStation goes all-digital, lessons learned for Square Enix, and what happens when fantasy projects collide with the reality of Xbox's restructure

For members of the GamesRadar+ Community, here's six stories we recommend you read this weekend

GamesRadar

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Fantasy meets reality: Why turmoil at Xbox is impacting IO Interactive and Project Fantasy

007: First Light and new Hitman: World of Assassination updates sent IOI on a victory lap – a publishing partner just spoiled the party

GamesRadar

Xbox pulls funding for 007 First Light dev's new fantasy RPG, prompting layoffs as Microsoft insists "we're not reducing our overall investment in games"

"What's changing is where we're investing and the kinds of projects we're backing," Microsoft says after IO Interactive withdrawal

GamesRadar

IO of '007: First Light' and 'Hitman' fame announces that it's lost the backing of Xbox for its 'Project Fantasy' IP — Confirmed.

IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series and 007: First Light, announces that it is no longer working with Xbox, who have been helping it build its original 'Project Fantasy' IP, feeding the fires of rumors regarding potential layoffs coming to Xbox Game Studios soon.

Windows Central

Ahead of next week's expected Xbox bloodbath, IO Interactive loses funding for its online fantasy RPG

The studio says it remains "100% committed" to Project Fantasy, but its future is now very uncertain.

PC Gamer

"A James Bond opening is the one thing that doesn't need to follow trends": how 007 First Light blurred the line between film and gaming

Territory Studio's Andrew Popplestone on the making of a perfect mission.

Creative Bloq

Zelda Breath of the Wild's most important lesson lives on in 007 First Light

Opinion | Combat improv is king, baby

GamesRadar

'007 First Light' Continues to Impress With Free Rewards, Major Upcoming Content

"007 First Light" offers a free Golden Anchor outfit through Twitch rewards as IO Interactive prepares major Year 1 content updates.

Player One

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GamesRadar

007 First Light's naughty schoolboy antics feel like a spiritual successor to Bully and I'm having the time of my life pretending Bond is Jimmy

Now Playing | The name's Hopkins – Jimmy Hopkins

TechRadar

IO Interactive says 007 First Light was 'always' supposed to be an origin story — 'We wanted to take that risk and introduce a fresh Bond for the gamers'

IO Interactive has confirmed that 007 First Light was always intended to be a young James Bond story, and it collaborated frequently with Amazon MGM Studios.

TechRadar

007 First Light devs say post-launch content is in IO Interactive's 'DNA' and is now something players are 'starting to expect' — 'We want the players to come back, and we want to create more content'

IO Interactive has teased 007 First Light's upcoming post-launch content following the game's "unreal" reception.

Player One

'007 First Light' Reviews: Did the New 'James Bond' Game Live Up to the Hype?

Released on May 27, 2026, 007 First Light offers an origin story for James Bond and has been enjoyed by fans and critics alike

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Cinemablend

007 First Light Proved One Major Thing About A Good James Bond Story, And I Hope The Movie Takes Notes

The next movie might want to peek at IO Interactive’s notes.

Creative Bloq

How one video game brought me back to gaming after 15 years

007 First Light is the most cinematic game I've seen.

Tom’s Guide

007 First Light feels like the perfect origin story — and it made me care about James Bond again

I wasn't sold on 007 First Light at reveal, but after finishing it, it's one of the best games I've played and rekindled my love for James Bond.

GamesRadar

Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered coming in 2027: it's already got a Steam page, and the side-by-side comparison is lovely

Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and Hitman: Contracts return

GamesRadar

007 First Light roadmap revealed, including New Game Plus and the return of Lenny Kravitz's Bawma in a new story mission

IO Interactive is making good on that Hitman: World of Assassination pedigree with more content

PC Gamer

007 First Light's Land Rover ads cross the line from product placement to late-night infomercials

Dunrovin'.

Destructoid

Amazon seems to walk back suggestion they’d send Bond on a new adventure rather than following IOI’s First Light

Grim stuff.

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