Hitman maker IO Interactive will publish the new action thriller by Leslie Benzies’ Build A Rocket Boy
IO Interactive is moving into third-party publishing with MindsEye, the new action thriller by Build A Rocket Boy, the AAA team formed by GTA producer Leslie Benzies.
IOI is best known for the Hitman series, which it has largely self-published since it split from Square Enix in 2017. Alongside continued support for Hitman, IO Interactive is also developing a James Bond origin story and a new fantasy IP.
Build A Rocket Boy is the huge new studio formed by Leslie Benzies, the Rockstar veteran best known as one of the key people behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series. It’s received significant funding since 2018, and is working on numerous projects, including MindsEye and the online game/creation platform Everywhere.
IO Interactive told GamesIndustry.biz in 2021 that it was open to publishing games by other studios, and has now launched a division dedicated to doing just that called IOI Partners. Nevertheless, we had expected the firm would start with something smaller, or perhaps a AA title. We certainly hadn’t anticipated its first third-party deal to be the next AAA game by the creator of Grand Theft Auto Online.
"We ourselves expected to start in AA, to be honest," admits IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak.
"It's true that we have been thinking about publishing other games for a while. We saw that as a natural way to go. We are a company that has done four original IPs from the ground up. We are used to not only thinking about the core gameplay of a new franchise, but also bringing a franchise to life. Being part of the whole strategy of bringing a new IP to market, and building a community, is something we've done in different situations and under different circumstances.
"That is part of why this came about. We are actually a company that has done this from not just a publishing and distribution perspective, but also as a developer. I think there is something here in terms of the mentality, attitude, dreams and approach that is compatible with Build A
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