PlayStation fans of the Hitman series may be taking a hit themselves when they read this news. Developer IO Interactive is currently hard at work on an upcoming fantasy RPG, but a new wrinkle suggests that it may wind up being released exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Although not officially confirmed, this lines up well with a “Project Dragon” leak first reported by Windows Central in 2021, as well as the official confirmation that the studio is working on a fantasy RPG from earlier this year, though the exclusivity is as of yet unconfirmed.
It is about as close to official now as it could be, though. In documents presented during the ongoing trial with the FTC, Microsoft presented research it had made into a potential acquisition of the famed Hitman developer, with several games listed, including the previously announced James Bond game (with platforms listed as “TBD”) as well as Project Dragon itself, with platforms explicitly labeled “PC, X|S,” seemingly cementing its exclusive status.
It seems this is not just a short timed-exclusive window, either, as it is mentioned later in the document that Project Dragon is being published by XGS, short for Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft’s primary video game publishing arm. If this is the case, it is entirely possible the game may launch as and remain an exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem.
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Like ‘Project Dragon’, Could Hitman Become Exclusive, Too?
For now at least, tt seems Microsoft ultimately decided against acquiring IO Interactive (and by extension the Hitman IP.). The document presented is from 2021, so if they are planning to do so, it will likely not happen for quite a while, still. It seems logical they would consider it if they are indeed publishing a game for the studio, though. If the business relationship around Project Dragon is running smoothly, then it could well have led to a long-term partnership. Microsoft also recently revealed they had considered buying other famed game companies such as SEGA, Square Enix, and even its old golden goose Bungie, which eventually found itself acquired by Sony in an ironic twist of fate.
It seems unlikely that any potential future Hitman games will become exclusive to Xbox, though. Microsoft’s interest in acquiring IO Interactive came before it decided to purchase Activision-Blizzard, and it seems any other studio acquisitions it was considering were either dropped entirely or put on hold until it can try to get that massive deal to go through. Currently, Microsoft continues to fight against the FTC in court in the hopes of completing the deal by July; otherwise, the tech giants will be forced into renegotiations.
Related: The Microsoft/Activision Deal May Be Blocked In Yet Another Country!
At the moment, there is almost no notable information about what Project Dragon will wind up being. Given that it was already leaked over two years ago and the studio confirmed a similar project is in development earlier this year, it may not be too long until we get an official announcement of some sort.
How do you feel about all of this? Are you tired of exclusives and wish to see every game be multiplatform, or are you excited by the possibility of Xbox having a potentially major exclusive? Let us know in the comments and on our social media feeds!
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