Rumors that Project Dragon, the mysterious project being worked on by IO Interactive, will be an MMORPG have been confirmed by the company today.
The project was announced by IO some time ago, with speculation about it possibly being an MMORPG coming from fans shortly after. The company, which is primarily known for the Hitman series, seems to be taking an ambitious step into new territory with the title.
The rumors were confirmed via a Tweet from IO Interactive today.
The rumor is generally credited as being started, or at least made mainstream by Jez Corden during The Xbox Two podcast in 2021. Near the end of the podcast, he gives some details about what he’s heard about the rumored Project Dragon from IO Interactive.
According to Jez at the time, the game was pitched early that year (2021) and he expected that we’d hear more about it in 2023/2024.
Jez said at the time that the game would be a highly ambitious, online multiplayer RPG. He speculated that the game would rival World of Warcraft in the medieval MMORPG market.
Along with the Tweet posted by IO today is a blog post on the IO Interactive website that goes further into the upcoming project. Now called Project Fantasy, IO Interactive goes into their inspirations for the game and give us a peak at what the title might have to offer.
“For many, this journey is also a deeply personal one that began long before we started making games for a living – and it started with the fantasy genre. From the “Fighting Fantasy” books compelling you to choose your path, alone, against wizards, lizards, and thief kings. To the togetherness, camaraderie, agony, and delight found around the tabletop. For some it meant taking the role of a game master: Part storyteller, part AI opponent, part guide, part villain. For everyone around that table it meant creativity, imagination, building a world together, and a shared goal in creating a great game experience.”
IOI goes on to explain the core idea for the world of Project Fantasy. “This idea – that a diverse group of individuals with different skills and strengths can work together and become more than the sum of their parts – is what inspires us. It inspires the fantasy world we are building – and it inspires how we build it.“