Xbox-funded Project Fantasy not cancelled and is 'still in a healthy place,' IO Interactive CEO says

Project Fantasy is the game that Hitman developer IO Interactive has always wanted to make, but has it been scrapped? CEO Hakan Abrak confirms the game is still in development.

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Three years ago, IO Interactive announced Project Fantasy, a new online RPG set in a fresh IP. The game, which had previously been known through rumors and reports as Project Dragon, represents an unexplored frontier for the action game studio that explores "deeply personal" feelings about old-school gaming origins, including the classic Fighting Fantasy roleplaying books from days of yore.

While details on Project Fantasy are light, it was believed that Xbox was funding the project. Specifics haven't been confirmed, and Xbox has cut lots of funding for third-party projects throughout the years as it downsized to cut costs, laying off thousands of workers, shutting down studios, and canceling first-party games in the process. It's now been confirmed that Project Fantasy hasn't been scrapped, and that it's in a good position financially.

In a recent interview with The Game Business, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak had some quick, but telling, words about Project Fantasy:

Q - Is the game still in good financial shape? Is everything coming out okay with Project Fantasy?

A (Hakan Abrak, IO Interactive CEO) - "First of all, I'm not going to answer what partner it is, because that has not been confirmed, so I'm not going to confirm or deny or anything.

"To the second part of the question, it is still in a healthy place and there is still financing going on, and it's amazing."

IO Interactive is right about to ship their new 007 Last Light game on consoles and PC, and it's believed that Project Fantasy may be in principal development as the studio shifts to the new project.