

"Square Enix Montreal will work in step with IO Interactive so we can both contribute great games to the Hitman franchise in the future. Singleton added that this doesn't mean the Hitman franchise is being taken away from IO entirely. "Our process follows best practice, and we will only go into production once we've build a robust and fun vertical slice that shows the necessary production metrics we need to plan out the full production." "We'll only turn the production taps on when we're ready, and we're clear on exactly what we are building," explained new studio head Lee Singleton. Work on the game will start as soon as Square has recruited a capable team and nailed down exactly what sort of game it wants to make.

In addition, as detailed in a Gamasutra interview, IO Interactive will contribute to the project, with three developers moving to Montreal from Denmark. We've approached Square for confirmation and will update if it responds. UPDATE: A trusted source has told Eurogamer that the new Hitman game is for next-gen platforms.
