007: First Light Studio CEO Says “There Are Learnings” About Episodic Releases From Hitman

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Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, recently shared what his studio learned from developing the Hitman trilogy, which began in 2016. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, he discussed releasing games in episodes – a topic gaining attention with the success of Dispatch. Abrak admitted IO Interactive might have been ahead of its time with the episodic Hitman format, but pointed out that Hitman levels are different from Dispatch‘s more story-focused approach.

Abrak explained that levels in Hitman are usually very detailed and can take several hours to complete. While Dispatch does offer some replay value through player choices and different story paths, Hitman levels are designed for much more replayability. Because Dispatch episodes aren’t as replayable, the developers need to release new episodes more quickly.

Abrak mentioned they’ve been enjoying the game Dispatch, adding that it seems incredibly popular – “half the globe is playing it!” They described it as a “very, very nice game,” but also noted it offers a unique experience compared to other games.

We launched the idea prematurely, and we definitely made a lot of errors. We initially thought a single Hitman level could provide over 50 hours of gameplay, but the Dispatch format is quite different. It’s designed to be more episodic, offering choices like whether or not to interact with a character – I even replayed a section to explore that – but with less overall replay value, we need to release new episodes more frequently.

I was really happy to hear what Abrak said about the studio learning from past experiences. He also made a great point about game length – not every game needs to be a massive, 40-hour commitment! He suggested games could learn a lot from shorter TV series, the kind that can tell a complete, satisfying story in just a few episodes, and I totally agree. It’s about quality over quantity, right?

He acknowledged they’re taking some important lessons from recent experiences, noting that the future of gaming is a big question. He wondered if all games need to be extremely long, pointing to his enjoyment of concise, six-episode TV series, particularly British ones, as a preferable format. He confirmed they’re considering similar approaches for future game releases.

The original Hitman game in 2016 launched with levels released over time, but IO Interactive moved away from this approach with Hitman 2 and 3. They did continue to add new content regularly, like the Elusive Targets, which kept a bit of that episodic feel. Now, IO Interactive is developing 007: First Light for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and it will be released as a complete game, not in episodes. You can see a preview of the game and its Aston Martin Valhalla in the recently released trailer.

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2025-11-24 15:11