James Bond games return to the UK: IO Interactive opens Brighton studio
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IO Interactive has opened a studio in the UK to work on its two big projects: Project Fantasy and Project 007.
The new team is based in Brighton and there is already a small group of developers in place. IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak tells GamesIndustry.biz that this team have worked together before on projects that share some similarities to the games that IO is building.
The developer, best known for the Hitman series, also has teams based in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona and Istanbul.
"We have had this strategy for a while, from before coronavirus times, to meet talent where they are," Abrak explains. "But not just hiring freelancers around the world, but opening studios where we think the ideal conditions are there, in terms of an attractive location, with lots of talent and lots of potential.
"All of these cities [we've opened in] have something special to offer. They're all beautiful, they're all by the sea – all of them – apparently that's a thing [laughs]. They're dynamic cities that you want to live in. But also, they have a lot of potential with either established AAA talent, or they have an upcoming talent pool. Brighton is both. Brighton has a bright future in the video games industry. It's something that will continue to expand. But it does already have a deep existing ecosystem of developers. There are over 22 studios in Brighton, and Creative Assembly is just north of it, and that's a huge developer."
IO had considered other cities in the UK, before settling on Brighton.
"We've been gunning for the UK for a while, because the UK has had all these old, legendary studios down the years. The ecosystem has been great, with
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