A new report has revealed that IO Interactive’s upcoming fantasy RPG is going to be an Xbox exclusive.
Internal Microsoft documents shared as part of the ongoing Microsoft vs. FTC trial have revealed new information about IO Interactive as a potential acquisition target. According to the documents (via IGN), the upcoming original IP from the studio was called “Project Dragon”. It was an RPG shooter for PC and Xbox Series X/S. It also listed Xbox Game Studios as the publisher for the title, which confirmed that it was going to be an Xbox exclusive.
Windows Central claimed that IO Interactive partnered up with Microsoft a few years ago to develop a new “dragon-themed IP” which the platform holder was expected to publish as a first-party Xbox exclusive. A few months ago, IO confirmed that it was working on an online fantasy RPG. It has not been confirmed yet, but this could be the same project that was mentioned in the internal documents.
“We are building a new world, a new IP – an online fantasy RPG,” the company said. “A world and a game built from the core to entertain players and expand for many years to come.”
“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.
“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.”
No word yet when this new IP will be launched.