The future of Hitman kind of seemed grim and Square Enix abandoning the company almost made it seem that we would’ve no longer been able to play our favorite bald assassin for hire. Fortunately, however, IO Interactive got to retain their rights for Hitman according to rumors, and there were layoffs as well.

Now, we know that the company isn’t doomed and we will still be able to see Agent 47 in action with the second season of Hitman in the works as well.  IO I will “keep all of the rights to the Hitman IP.” According to the developer’s website:

“Our passion and determination have never been greater and so that is why we have decided it is not the time to stop as we have many more exciting and original tales to tell. 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.

“This is a watershed moment for IOI. As of today, we have complete control over the direction for our studio and the Hitman IP—we’re about to forge our own future and it’s incredibly exciting. We are now open to opportunities with future collaborators and partners to help strengthen us as a studio and ensure that we can produce the best games possible for our community.”

It is a great thing for the fans of the series. If the company had gotten acquired by another, we may have seen some massive changes to the series, and maybe some spin-offs here and there as well. At least now we know that Hitman and Agent 47 aren’t dying anytime soon.

For more updates, stay tuned.