In an announcement post today, IOI stated they have become an independent developer, as well as retaining the rights to the Hitman IP.

IOI recently went through a shake-up with Square Enix letting them go, while the news didn’t seem like bad blood, it did leave many fans wondering what the future of the developer would hold. In their own words, it looks like negotiations between the two companies went smoothly.

Therefore I am proud to announce today that IOI is now officially an independent studio. We have successfully concluded our negotiations with Square Enix and have agreed to a management buyout. Crucially, we will keep all of the rights to the Hitman IP.

IOI received glowing praise for their reinvention of what Hitman could be last year, through an episodic style of storytelling, accompanied with elusive targets. Now a thing of the past. It doesn’t take away from Hitman being a fantastic game. If Hitman is still on the backlog maybe now’s the time to pick it up, before we see what IOI does next.