IO Interactive has announced the opening of a new Istanbul-based studio for AAA game development in the region and to help out on the studio's upcoming projects.

　　The Danish developer announced the news on its official website earlier today.  The new studio is located in one of the most important business areas of Sarıyer, Maslak.  The new Istanbul-based studio is the developer's fourth development studio, next to its studios in Copenhagen, Malmo, and Barcelona. "The mission of IOI Istanbul is to establish a hub for AAA game development in the region and create unique game experiences for our players across the world", the official announcement from the developer reads. Aside from creating a center for AAA game development, the studio will be helping out on IO Interactive's HITMAN franchise alongside the upcoming Project 007, and Project Fantasy. Yesterday, we reported that the HITMAN franchise is taking a break in order to focus on Project 007 and Project Fantasy. Luckily for the many HITMAN fans out there, IO Interactive will come back to Agent 47 afterward. "But obviously, we'll come back to our beloved Agent 47", IO Interactive co-owner Christian Elverdam said in a recent interview. "He's still very much in the heart of this company, so I think and I hope we can have our cake and eat it, too."

　　To learn more about IO Interactive's new studio, be sure to visit the developer's official website here. The developer will also be present at GDC 2023 later this month. For its Istanbul studio, the developer still has various open positions, including one for a senior game producer, senior gameplay animator and game designer on Project 007, and animators, producers, programmers, combat designers, and a multiplayer programmer for Project Fantasy. Read up on the open positions here. We've included a part of the description for a game producer on Project Fantasy down below:

　　A passion for fantasy worlds has long been ingrained in our studio, and at last we can announce we have embarked on a journey into that beloved realm. With a party of veteran IOI guild members and new wizards and sorceresses of the industry, we are building an ambitious new IP for console and PC that will revolutionize the online fantasy RPG genre. If you share a similar passion for creating welcoming, heartfelt, bold and impactful worlds, join us and together we will write the next chapter in IOI's history. 

　　We'll update you as soon as more information about IO Interactive's exciting new projects comes in.