Screenshot: Hitman/Square Enix

Last year’s episodic Hitman game turned out to be one of the best surprises of 2016, but despite its success, publisher Square Enix announced in May it was looking to sell IO Interactive, the studio that created the series and has been working on it since 2000. That news threw the fate of Hitman and its developers into question. IO later went through a round of layoffs to help it trim down for “future adventures,” and today, the studio’s CEO announced that it has successfully negotiated a management buyout with Square Enix, making it an independently owned and operated developer. IO has also been granted the Hitman property, so it appears the series will live on.


The studio had previously confirmed it was working on a second season to follow-up Hitman 2016’s success, and reports indicate it was nearly half-way complete by the time Square Enix decided to spin IO off. The developer has yet to announce what its plans for Season Two and any further content for Season One will be, but in his note, CEO Hakan Abrak said some of those details will be outlined next week.