Despite technically not being a live-service title, the team at IO Interactive have continued to keep HITMAN: World of Assassination feeling fresh with new and limited-time events. Following on from the likes of Slim Shady; Bruce Lee; Mila Jovovich and countless others, Agent 47 has now been tasked with taking out Snoop Dogg.

Making the surprise announcement during Gamescom Opening Night Live, IOI officially unveiled the next Elusive Target coming to HITMAN: World of Assassination – Snoop Dogg.

Going live later this week on the 27th of August, this new ‘Herbalist’ mission will have you try to take out Dr. Cyrus Cane, “an eccentric entrepreneur” who’s about to release a new product: Morsizzles cookies.

This latest Elusive Target mission arrives as part of a wider ‘Season of the Herbalist’ – set to bring in both new and returning content – as well as a paid Herbalist Pack (£6.99) adding more Snoop Dogg goodness.

For those who opt not to purchase the pack, you’ll still have the opportunity to eliminate Dr. Cain, with the mission sticking around for all until the 26th of September.

In case you missed it, IOI’s most recent game ‘007 First Light’ is also set to receive its own update, with Path Tracing and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction going live on the 15th of September.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest Elusive Target? Should they make all past targets permanent? What are you expecting from the next HITMAN game, whenever it arrives? Let us know down below.

007 First Light launched to wide critical acclaim back in May. Now a few months on from release, the game has reached a new sales milestone.

In a new update shared on X, IO Interactive confirmed that 007 First Light has now sold over 4 million copies worldwide across PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. This marks another strong milestone for the studio’s first major release outside of the Hitman franchise.

The game’s momentum may continue to grow in the coming weeks. As we reported recently, 007 First Light could be arriving on Nintendo Switch 2 consoles as early as September.

KitGuru Says: I really enjoyed my time with 007 First Light when it came out. If you are a fan of third-person action/adventure games, this one stands out to me as one of the best since Uncharted 4.

Amazon Japan may have revealed the new release date for 007 First Light on Switch 2. The game was originally planned to launch day‑and‑date with other platforms, but the Switch 2 version was delayed and has not yet received an official update.

As spotted by an eagle‑eyed fan on Reddit, new Amazon Japan listings now show 007 First Light arriving on Switch 2 in September. While retailers occasionally post placeholder dates, this listing includes full product details, suggesting the information may be based on updated distributor data. IO Interactive has not commented on the Switch 2 version’s status, so the date remains unofficial for now.

007 First Light launched on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 back in May. The game quickly turned out to be one of the year’s standout releases, offering a quality action‑adventure that blends investigation work and puzzle solving with excellent action set pieces. IO Interactive’s new interpretation of Bond has been well received, setting the stage for future stories, although a sequel has not yet been confirmed.

With Amazon listings now pointing to a September release, Switch 2 owners may not have much longer to wait.

KitGuru Says: Gamescom is coming up in August, so there could be official confirmation of this very soon. If we start hearing rumours about a new Nintendo Direct in the coming weeks, I will now expect 007 First Light to be part of it. 

While IO Interactive are best known for their work on the HITMAN (and now 007) franchise, the team had been working for quite some years on an entirely new IP. Known simply as ‘Project Fantasy’ IOI’s next big gamble has unfortunately hit some roadblocks, with the title set to encounter lay-offs due to relationships with “an external partner” coming to an abrupt end.

IO Interactive’s Project Fantasy has been in development for years, with the mysterious title first being officially announced back in early 2023. While little was known about the project, it was confirmed to be an online-based fantasy RPG of sorts.

Though unsubstantiated, rumours did claim at the time that Project Fantasy was tied into Xbox in some way, with IOI simply stating back then “I don't think any word came out about any specifics about this, so we cannot comment on it.”

This of course all comes into play with the most recent announcement, in which IOI confirmed some less-than-stellar news for Project Fantasy, taking to Twitter to write:

“Today we have to share some more downbeat news. 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.”

IO Interactive continued, “Project Fantasy is a game, a world, and an IP that we absolutely love and remain 100% committed to, now and in the future. This wonderful universe will see the light of day.”

This news comes in the wake of recent reports claiming that Microsoft is moving away from working with 2nd/3rd party studios for Xbox, leading many to wonder whether this was what impacted Project Fantasy.

Regardless, IO Interactive seem to have a lot of faith in the product, and are determined to see it through to the end. Hopefully the team are able to fully realise Project Fantasy – and that it proves to be a success if/when it does eventually release.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Have you been looking forward to Project Fantasy? Is this related to Xbox’s recent shake-up? Let us know your thoughts down below.

After working for over a decade exclusively on the Hitman franchise, IO Interactive decided to branch out, recently launching 007: First Light. Early reception towards the title appears to be positive, and so too has its sales, with IOI revealing that over 1.5 million copies were sold within the first 24 hours.

Taking to BlueSky to make the announcement, the official 007 First Light page confirmed that 1.5 million copies were sold within its first 24 hours, writing:

“1.5 million copies sold! Thank you for showing up to the launch of 007 First Light, for your overwhelming enthusiasm and for sharing your experience with the game.”

As mentioned, 007 First Light has been met with a positive reception across the board, amassing an aggregate score of 87 on Metacritic and an 88 on OpenCritic. Players appear to be equally receptive to the new title, currently sitting at a ‘Very Positive’ on Steam across 6 and a half thousand reviews. PlayStation users meanwhile have given First Light 4.8/5 based on 5.8k reviews.

All in all, it seems like 007 First Light is both a critical and commercial success. It will be interesting to see how the discourse evolves as more people get their hands on the game and form their own opinions.

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KitGuru says: Have you played First Light? What do you think? Is it IO Interactive’s best game yet? Let us know your thoughts down below.

IO Interactive has taken some big risks in recent years. The studio split off from Square Enix after the launch of Hitman (2016) to become an independent studio and after a couple of successful sequels, the team picked up the expensive James Bond license to produce their own original 007 game. The first reviews for 007 First Light have now dropped, so did the risk pay off? 

007 First Light is launching to very positive critic reviews. Currently on Metacritic, the game has an overall score of 88, based on 47 different reviews. Over on Open Critic, the score is a little better at 98 overall, based on 37 different reviews. As the game isn't out yet, we do not yet have a user score for the game, but those who pre-ordered will get access today, while everyone else will get the game tomorrow.

With these scores, 007 First Light becomes the highest-rated James Bond video game in decades. Critics have praised the game for its combat sequences, as well as its overall campaign, which stays true to the hallmarks of the James Bond IP, featuring levels spread all across the globe, massive spectacle moments and even a little bit of romance.

If the game becomes a sales success, then IO Interactive will be going ahead with sequels as it looks to make its own version of Bond as iconic as the versions we've seen on the silver screen.

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KitGuru Says: Considering IO Interactive's experience with Hitman, I couldn't think of a more perfect studio to take on the task of bringing James Bond back to gaming. 

Nvidia has partnered with IO Interactive to bundle the upcoming 007 First Light with qualifying GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards. For the first time, the game bundle extends further down the product stack, including RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards. Some previous bundles in the current generation have only applied to RTX 5070 and up. 

The offer applies to desktop GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards and higher, including both the 8GB and 16GB variants. For the mobile segment, the promotion starts with the GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU. Previously, Nvidia game bundles for the current generation typically began at the RTX 5070 tier.

007 First Light is currently listed for pre-order at $69.99 on Steam and is scheduled for release on May 27th. The game will support Nvidia-exclusive technologies at launch, including DLSS 4.5 and Frame Generation.

The promotion is already underway and will continue through June 10th, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST. Customers who purchase a qualifying GPU during this window will be eligible to receive a digital code that must be redeemed via GeForce Experience or the Nvidia App by July 8th, 2026. The bundle is available through participating global retailers and system integrators.

KitGuru says: Are you planning to take advantage of this bundle?

007 First Light is studio IO Interactive’s first foray outside of the HITMAN franchise in quite some time, with the upcoming action-adventure title set to officially launch in just a few weeks – arriving on the 27th of May. Ahead of its release, the team at IOI have confirmed that 007 First Light has now officially gone GOLD.

Taking to BlueSky to make the announcement, IO Interactive confirmed that “007 First Light has gone gold! See you on May 27th for this re-imagined origin story.”

For the uninitiated, going Gold means that the 007 First Light master disc has been submitted to IOI Publishing. Discs can then be pressed with finalised software and digital storefronts can upload the 1.0 version of the game ready for release. It’s a process that every game goes through, and means that – aside from post-launch patches and updates – First Light should be complete and ready to play.

While roughly in line with the general process of other similar releases, going Gold with less than two weeks until launch is cutting things a little bit close; with some titles submitting their finalised software up to a month ahead of launch.

Regardless, hopefully 007 First Light is able to include the full game’s data on disc without the need for an internet connection.

In case you have yet to pre-order the game, all those who do so will be treated to a free Deluxe Edition upgrade, which includes 4 exclusive outfits; 1 new weapon skin; a gadget skin and the iconic Golden Gun (as well as an obsidian gold suit).

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to 007 First Light? Is it a day-one pick-up for you, or will you wait for reviews first? Let us know down below.

IO Interactive has detailed the official PC system requirements and technical features for 007 First Light ahead of its launch. The developer confirmed that while the minimum specifications target 1080p at 30FPS, a new “Ultra” tier has been introduced for high-end systems utilising Nvidia DLSS 4.5 to reach over 200FPS at 4K.

The PC version includes support for uncapped frame rates, Nvidia DLSS 4.5 with Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation, and Super Resolution at launch. IO Interactive noted that Path Tracing and DLSS Ray Reconstruction are scheduled for a post-launch update in the summer. Global accessibility options were also detailed, featuring menu narration, input remapping, and autocomplete functionality for quick-time events.

The detailed system requirements can be found below:

Minimum

• Performance: 1080p at 30 FPS
• Settings Preset: Low
• CPU: Intel Core i5-9500/AMD Ryzen 5 3500
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660/AMD Radeon RX 5700
• VRAM (Minimum): 6GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Recommended

• Performance: 1080p at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: Medium
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti/AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
• VRAM (Minimum): 8GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Enthusiast 1

• Performance: 1440p at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: High
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070/AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
• VRAM (Minimum): 12GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Enthusiast 2

• Performance: 4K at 60 FPS
• Settings Preset: High
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13500/AMD Ryzen 5 7600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080/AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• VRAM (Minimum): 16GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

Ultra

• Performance: 4K at 200+ FPS (DLSS 4.5)
• Settings Preset: Ultra
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K/AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• RAM: 32GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
• VRAM (Minimum): 16GB
• Storage: 80 GB minimum/SSD required
• OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit

The studio clarified that the recommended RAM requirement has been finalized at 16GB for most presets, correcting earlier reports of a 32GB baseline for 1080p. 007 First Light will be available on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with console versions launching simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is expected later this summer.

KitGuru says: Is your PC ready for 007 First Light? How well do you expect it to run?

Aside from 007 First Light and continued development on Hitman: World of Assassination, IO Interactive does have one other game in the works. Codenamed Project Fantasy, this is supposed to be a fantasy-themed action game. 

Project Fantasy has been named in leaks before, but IO Interactive CEO, Hakan Abrak, addressed the topic head-on in a recent interview with The Game Business, describing the game as “in a very healthy place”, despite some turbulence last year with losing a partnership.

While Abrak did not name the partner that pulled funding in the interview, it is widely believed to have been Xbox, as early rumours about the game had linked Xbox to the project.

Abrak did confirm that IO Interactive has secured new funding for the game.

Project Fantasy is still in early development, with the bulk of IO Interactive currently focused on polishing up 007 First Light and getting it ready for launch later this month.

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KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see what IO Interactive can do with the fantasy genre, although it could be a few more years until this game is ready to be announced properly. 

MOOD Publishing has announced Hitman: The Board Game, a new tabletop adaptation developed in collaboration with IO Interactive. The game brings the World of Assassination to a physical format and launches its crowdfunding campaign today on Gamefound.

Designed for 1–4 players, the competitive assassination game features four locations and eight targets from the Hitman trilogy. Its modular sandbox setup allows targets to appear in any location, ensuring varied contracts each session. Players act as rival agents infiltrating secure environments, creating distractions, disguising themselves, and eliminating high‑profile targets using a range of action cards. A typical session runs around an hour.

The Gamefound campaign includes several community‑driven incentives: a free follower gift for anyone who followed pre‑launch, an Elusive Gift Box that expands as the campaign progresses, engagement‑based unlocks, and scheduled content reveals. Early backers can also secure a limited 47‑hour coin.

IO Interactive says the tabletop version captures the creative, improvisational feel of Hitman. Executive Producer Rasmus Nautrup Jensen praised MOOD Publishing’s adaptation, calling it “fun, creative, and highly addictive,” especially when beating other agents to the target.

The campaign can be backed HERE. At the time of writing, the campaign has already reached its initial goal, so more news should be coming soon.

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KitGuru Says: Will you be getting a group together to try Hitman: The Board Game when it comes out? 

Razer has partnered with IO Interactive to bring bespoke haptic and lighting integrations to 007 First Light on PC, adding hardware‑driven feedback designed to mirror the game’s stealth and moment‑to‑moment escalation. The collaboration centres on Razer Sensa HD Haptics and Razer Chroma RGB, both of which have been tuned specifically for the upcoming title.

On supported devices, Razer Sensa HD Haptics delivers more than 80 curated effects tied to actions such as firing a weapon, performing a silent takedown or a vehicle chase. Each effect is designed to follow the intensity and rhythm of the scene, giving players a clearer sense of danger and pressure as situations shift. The feature is available across devices including the Kraken V4 Pro headset, Wolverine V3 Pro controller and Freyja HD haptic gaming cushion.

Razer Chroma RGB adds a second layer of feedback, offering over 80 reactive lighting effects that respond to mission states, alerts and environmental changes. Lighting cues extend across Chroma‑enabled peripherals such as the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K and Cobra HyperSpeed mice, the Firefly V2 Pro mouse mat, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% keyboard and the Razer Blade 16 (2026).

The integrations will be available when 007 First Light launches on PC on May 27th.

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KitGuru Says: Do you use any of Razer's SensaHD enabled peripherals? Is the experience worth the extra cash? 

IO Interactive has released yet another trailer for its new game, 007 First Light. The new Rules of Spycraft trailer gives us a look at new gameplay, including new stealth and action sequences. 

Gameplay in 007 First Light is centred around a few key pillars – Spycraft, Gadgets and Combat. Spycraft sees players infiltrating spaces and eavesdropping to pick up Intel and identify objective opportunities. Gadgets enable stealth gameplay and creative problem solving. The Q-Lens highlights hackable devices while the Q-Watch can activate environmental devices to serve as distractions.

When you run out of options, sometimes the only way out is with a fight. For combat, Bond will have access to close-quarters takedowns and rush moves to take enemies out before bullets start flying. You will of course also have a gun, and if you run out of bullets, you can just throw the gun at the enemy instead.

007 First Light is scheduled to launch on May 27, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and Summer 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I'm looking forward to this game. IO Interactive kept players coming back to Hitman in surprising ways, so it will be interesting to see if they have anything up their sleeve for 007 First Light. 

While it looked like 007 First Light would land on Switch 2 alongside all other platforms this May, a last-minute delay has been announced. Now, IO Interactive plans to bring the game to Nintendo's console later in the year, months after the launch on other platforms.

Like Hitman: World of Assassination, which is already on Switch 2, 007 First Light is built using IO's own in-house engine. While the team has managed to get Hitman running well on the new Switch 2 console already, it is going to take a while longer to optimise the new James Bond game.

In a statement, IO Interactive confirmed the delay, saying: “007 First Light comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 27th, 2026, and Nintendo Switch 2 later this summer. We're excited to see players discovering James Bond's reimagined origin story, and we are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms.”

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KitGuru Says: A lot of first-year AAA games for Switch 2 have suffered delays for one reason or another. Aside from 007 First Light, we are also still awaiting updates on games like Elden Ring and Borderlands 4.

All the way back in 2017, around the same time that IO Interactive split off from Square Enix and became an independent studio, a Hitman TV series had been quietly announced. Considering how long it has been since then, it wouldn't surprise me if absolutely everyone had forgot about it. If you had kept it in mind and were looking forward to it though, then we have unfortunate news for you. 

Hollywood trade outlet, The Direct, has learned that the Hitman TV series has been cancelled. Hulu had acquired the rights to make a new TV series based on the videogame series back in 2017. For years, the creator behind John Wick had been attached to the project but now almost ten years later, plans for the series have been scrapped.

It is unclear how long the show has been ‘cancelled' for, as very little had happened with it in the years since its announcement. While the creator of John Wick, Derek Kolstad, had been attached and was still interested in moving forward with it, executives at Hulu and Disney opted to not move forward with the project.

While we won't be seeing a Hitman series anytime soon, IO Interactive has continued to bring new content to its game, Hitman: World of Assassination. On top of that, the studio is now set to release a James Bond game later this year, titled 007: First Light.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Hitman has had a number of rather poor film adaptations over the years. A TV show may have worked a bit better, presenting more opportunity to grow Agent 47's character compared to 2-hour blockbuster. 

MindsEye was easily one of 2025’s biggest fumbles, with the ambitious title from ex-Rockstar president Leslie Benzies and studio Build A Rocket Boy receiving less-than-stellar reviews upon its initial launch last year. Since then, the situation has continued to devolve, with claims of intentional sabotage supposedly having taken place. In amongst all the drama, it appears as though publisher IO Interactive wants to distance themselves from the title, officially announcing that they have now ended their “publishing collaboration.”

Last month, insiders claimed that Build A Rocket Boy would soon be announcing that they “have decided to part ways with their publisher, IO Interactive” in order to “bring its publishing in-house and gain more control over its future.”

Sure enough, the announcement has now come to pass, with IOI and Build A Rocket Boy sharing a joint press release, stating: “IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy today announce the conclusion of their publishing collaboration for MindsEye, effective 16 March 2026, with Build A Rocket Boy assuming sole publishing responsibilities going forward.”

While some of you may have forgotten, it was previously announced that HITMAN would be crossing over into MindsEye at some point in the future. In the wake of this separation however, the collab has been cancelled, with them writing:

“The Hitman mission announced in June 2025, planned as a crossover event within MindsEye, will no longer be released. However, BARB [Build A Rocket Boy] plans on working with partners on other projects in the future. Both IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy recognize the anticipation this collaboration generated among the community and express their appreciation for the support shown by the players.”

IOI’s partnership with MindsEye ultimately was not the greatest of starts for the company’s publishing division. That said, hopefully this whole situation serves as a lesson to both IOI and Build A Rocket Boy. It will be interesting to see what the future of MindsEye looks like.

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KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the announcement? Does MindsEye have any potential? Let us know down below.

IO Interactive is about to take a big step, branching out beyond its flagship HITMAN series and into new territory with its first licensed James Bond videogame. Now, just ahead of the launch of 007 First Light, IO Interactive has shared a new behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game and the cast behind the major characters.

IO Interactive and Amazon MGM today released the second episode of Beyond the Light, the developer diary series offering an inside look at the making of 007 First Light. This latest episode shines a spotlight on the characters of the game:

In the video Martin Emborg, Narrative and Cinematics Director at IO Interactive, and Beatrice Harty, Lead and Senior Character Artist, offer insight into the creation of 007 First Light, from creating the story, to cinematics and designing characters. As previously mentioned, 007 First Light stars a wholly original version of James Bond, giving IO Interactive a chance to leave their own mark on the James Bond legacy.

The second episode of Beyond the Light also features key members of the ensemble cast, including Patrick Gibson (portraying James Bond), Noemie Nakai (portraying Agent Roth), Kiera Lester (portraying Moneypenny), and Alastair McKenzie (portraying Q).

007 First Light is due to release for PC, PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S on the 27th of May.

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KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to 007 First Light?

While the team are continuing to work on the upcoming 007 First Light, IO Interactive have kept HITMAN World of Assassination alive with periodic updates and new content – most notably in the form of their limited-time Elusive Targets. In alignment with the release of Resident Evil Requiem, the iconic Milla Jovovich has now joined the World of Assassination, with players having a little under a month to take her out.

Releasing a pretty hype trailer announcing the next Elusive Target, IOI revealed that Milla Jovovich is the latest celebrity target to join HITMAN: WOA, writing:

“Power leads to secrecy. Secrecy and power are now a global threat. Are you ready to uncover what’s buried beneath the manor and stop it before it’s too late? Milla Jovovich steps into HITMAN as the latest Celebrity Elusive Target. Play for FREE from February 25th – March 24th and put a stop to Lilith Devereux’s rapid rise.”

While this latest collab has likely been timed to align with the launch of Resident Evil Requiem (given that she was the lead in the classic RE films), Jovovich has had a strong presence across the board, with some of her featured films including 2020’s Monster Hunter; 2019’s Hellboy; The Fifth Element and many more.

Interestingly, this latest Elusive Target is one of the only ones to fight back, meaning you will have to be extra careful when taking her down.

While it is somewhat of a shame to see these Elusive Targets come and go, the concept remains cool and does give that sense of urgency which the team are going for. The Patient Zero Requiem Elusive Target is available to take down from now until the 24th of March.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this whole Elusive Target release strategy? Which featured celebrity have you enjoyed the most so far? Let us know down below.