Hitman developer IO Interactive has been developing a James Bond video game. Project 007 will be an original Bond origin story, allowing players to take on the role of the legendary spy and earn his Double O status. The game was first announced in 2020 and does not yet have an official title or release window. Now, the head of IO Interactive has provided an update on Project 007, saying the studio hopes the Bond game will be the start of a trilogy.
007 Project progress is “very smooth”
IO Interactive CEO and co-owner Hakan Abrak told IGN that development of the 007 project is progressing “very well,” but did not provide new details. “I don’t have an update today, but trust me, there’s a lot of interest here in talking about it as soon as possible,” Ablak told IGN. “So we’re following our plan. Production is going really well and we’ll be talking more about it soon. I know it’s just a little trailer and not a lot of information, but there’s a lot of cool stuff coming.”
Akrak said two decades in the making of the Hitman games, where players can live out their “agent fantasies,” gave IO the expertise needed to create a James Bond game. While Project 007 is based on a popular IP, IO Interactive is creating a completely original story featuring a new James Bond, without using the likeness of any of the actors who have taken on the role of 007 in the past.
“So it’s not a gamification of the movie. It completely starts and becomes a story that will hopefully become a big trilogy in the future,” Ablak said.
“What’s also important and exciting is that this is a new Bond. This is the Bond we’ve built from the ground up for gamers. It’s very exciting, with all the tradition and history, to work with the family to create a young Bond for gamers; a Bond that gamers can call their own and grow with.”
new bond story
IO Interactive is the developer and publisher of Project 007 in partnership with MGM and Bond film producer Eon Productions. The iconic MI6 agent played by Ian Fleming has a storied history in the media, with 1997’s GoldenEye widely regarded as one of the most influential games of all time. Lately, however, Bond has struggled to establish itself in the video game world, although Ian’s films continue to do well. The last James Bond game was Activision’s 007 Legends, a Call of Duty-style first-person shooter released in 2012.
However, IO intends to start a new chapter in video games for the martini-sipping spy. “I don’t want to talk too much about it, but I just hope we can do something that will define James Bond in gaming for years to come,” Ablak said.
The Danish developer isn’t yet ready to fully reveal the game and provide details on its release window, with Ablak saying the studio will share more updates “in due course.”
