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A few years ago, we reported on a new project from 007 First Light and Hitman developer IO Interactive called Project Fantasy, and it was rumoured at the time that it might have been an Xbox exclusive.
Flash forward to today, and Xbox has now pulled out of the project and issued an accompanying statement.
Speaking to Bloomberg, an Xbox spokesperson had the following to say on the news:
"[Xbox is] taking a fresh look at where we invest so we’re focusing on our highest priorities,"
"We're not reducing our overall investment in games. We expect to invest about the same in content as we did last year. What's changing is where we're investing and the kinds of projects we're backing."
Very little has ever been revealed about Project Fantasy, but we know it's intended to be an online fantasy RPG, and IO Interactive will continue working on the game even without the backing of Xbox.
That said, the studio has understandably been impacted by the news, leading to some apparent job losses.
Here's a bit of what IO had to say on social media today:
"A relationship with an external partner on our own IP, Project Fantasy, has come to an end. This means we have to adapt to this new reality and its short-term consequences, including staffing decisions, which is what is happening as we write this update, and we are fully committed to supporting those affected through this challenging transition."
We wish the best to everyone impacted by the situation at IO Interactive, and here's hoping that Project Fantasy will still find its way to Xbox Series X and S (and maybe Project Helix) in the future.