The first official IOI SHOWCASE, a live, in-person event and dedicated broadcast covering a slate of impending announcements, was held in Los Angeles, California, today by IO Interactive. With a special guest appearance by Mads Mikkelsen, the event focused on upcoming in-development projects, such as the classic HITMAN World of Assassination, the soon-to-be AAA high-intensity thriller MindsEye, and 007 First Light. Spokespeople from IO Interactive and IOI Partners’ titles were included at the showcase, including Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive; Ulas Karademir, CTO; Christian Elverdam, CCO; David Bateson, voice actor for Agent 47; and Adam Whiting, assistant game director for Build A Rocket Boy.
Hakan Abrak, CEO at IO Interactive stated, “IOI SHOWCASE is a celebration of the passionate work that has gone into creating the games that were part of the event, and a glimpse of the future of IOI and IOI Partners for our fans and community. To be able to bring together all of those incredible independent studios today during IOI SHOWCASE is a testament to how tightly knit our industry is, and we are incredibly proud and grateful to have taken this step together with them.”
HITMAN World of Assassination
Award-winning Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen made a special visit at the IOI SHOWCASE after making a surprise cameo at Summer Game Fest. He now plays the role of Le Chiffre, the beloved antagonist from the 2006 movie “Casino Royale.” You may play HITMAN World of Assassination’s newest high-profile Elusive Target now through July 6th. With a character from the 007 franchise making their debut appearance in HITMAN World of Assassination, this partnership is a first, and the poker game is not to be missed.
A special suit for 007 First Light, IO Interactive’s immersive third-person action-adventure game with a brand-new, original James Bond tale that is set to arrive in 2026, will also be given to all players that play the new Elusive Target.
The new Summer roadmap for the Season of the High-Stakes was unveiled along with the new Elusive Target, carrying on HITMAN World of Assassination’s consistent support with content and improvements since its 2016 introduction.
The unveiling was a part of Hitman’s 25th anniversary statements, which also included the fact that 80 million players had registered for HITMAN World of Assassination and its Free Starter Pack, which includes each new celebrity Elusive Target at launch, and that 25 million units had been sold. A teaser for two more Elusive Targets was also included in the announcements; further information will be released in 2025.
The announcement that HITMAN World of Assassination will make its iOS debut in the summer of 2025 came next. Fans can follow IO Interactive’s Kickstarter website to learn more about their partnership with MOOD Publishing to develop HITMAN: THE BOARD GAME. With the highly acclaimed release of the PS VR2 port of HITMAN World of Assassination and the announcement of more HITMAN VR content this summer, virtual reality was also included in the festivities. Lastly, IOI revealed intentions to create a cooperative option for HITMAN World of Assassination, with further details to follow.
007 First Light
A first glimpse at the revamped James Bond origin story with an original, stand-alone story was provided by IO Interactive’s 007 First Light announcement video. NVIDIA GeForce is one of the game’s partners and will introduce RTX technologies to 007 First Light. This summer will finally see the complete gameplay reveal. For the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, 007 First Light can be added to a wishlist via Steam and Epic Games Store, and Amazon.com. The “On-Duty” Outfit Skin and the “Gilded Wraith” Weapon Skin are also available to players that create an IOI Account.
MindsEye
At the IOI Showcase, Assistant Game Director Adam Whiting of Build A Rocket Boy showcased brand-new MindsEye gameplay footage, showcasing the game’s smooth transitions from cinematics to gameplay, strategic combat, and exhilarating flying and driving. A deeper look at the companion drone, which lets players be as aggressive or defensive as they like while playing, was a highlight. As the game progresses, the drone’s powers evolve, allowing it to reach otherwise unreachable regions, hack systems, and stun foes.
The presentation also went into greater detail about Play.MindsEye, where players may choose whether to leave the main narrative plot at launch and enjoy something fresh and entertaining in completely different worlds and characters. fresh gameplay is released every month. The speed at which BARB will be releasing a steady stream of new material is unheard of and really exciting. The company is thrilled to offer players a variety of gaming experiences outside of the main MindsEye narrative campaign, built on their creative framework.
With a trailer showcasing just a few of the features of Glacier, IO Interactive’s proprietary game engine, CTO Ulas Karademir highlighted the foundation of all IO Interactive’s games. Glacier has allowed IOI to push the boundaries of technology and produce award-winning games for over 20 years. As evidenced by the initial trailer for 007 First Light, which was totally in-engine, Glacier is continuously being developed and modified by a committed team to meet the demands and goals of IOI.
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