IOI won’t start hyping Hitman 4 until Stone & Knight co-op lands — and that tells you a lot

IOI says no Hitman 4 chatter until Stone & Knight co-op arrives – here’s why that matters

IO Interactive isn’t ready to talk about the next mainline Hitman until it finishes what feels like the final major chapter of Hitman World of Assassination: the two-player Stone and Knight co-op. That might sound bureaucratic, but for players it’s a clear sign of priorities – IOI wants to close the current game’s book before starting the next one. For those of us who still get excited about a new level of creative stealth mayhem, this both calms fears of a rushed sequel and guarantees more content for the game we already play.

• Key takeaway: IOI will start “talking about the next Hitman” only after shipping Stone and Knight co-op for World of Assassination.
• Timing: The co-op is in early development with no release window; expect more details through next year, but not necessarily a 2026 drop.
• Studio plate: IOI is finishing 007 First Light (March), building Project Fantasy (a multiplayer fantasy), and wrapping an unannounced RPG – all of which delays a full-blown Hitman sequel.
• What it means: more polish and final content for World of Assassination, but Hitman 4 is probably years away.

Why this matters now — and why IOI’s stance is smart

Big studios often tease sequels while still milking an existing release, which can leave the current product half-finished. IOI’s approach flips that: finish the co-op extension, then shift public focus to a new title. That matters because World of Assassination has been IOI’s marquee playground for years — it’s got a massive player base and a content pipeline that’s sustained it far beyond a normal season cycle. Letting that pipeline run its course before diverting attention reduces the risk of being accused of abandoning ongoing support.

Breaking down Stone and Knight co-op: promise vs. reality

I saw the co-op tease at IOI’s summer showcase and, honestly, it’s the most tantalizing way to extend Hitman without pretending the whole game will morph into a multiplayer shooter. Playing as agents Stone and Knight, two-player stealth opens up interesting design possibilities: coordinated takedowns, split objectives, asymmetric gadgets and emergent chaos when two players improvise. Abrak called co-op “a really, really good extension to the universe” and hinted it will introduce “very interesting mechanics and combinations.”

That said, the mode is still early — IOI gave no release date — so skepticism is warranted. Co-op can be a brilliant capstone or a clumsy add-on. Will it honor the sandbox, improvisational feel that makes Hitman special? Or will it shoehorn teamwork into systems built for solitary play? Those are the questions that will determine whether Stone and Knight is a memorable final bow for World of Assassination or a middling grab for player attention.

IOI’s workload — why a new Hitman feels distant

Hakan Abrak’s interview makes IOI’s bandwidth clear. The studio is polishing 007 First Light — described as playable start-to-finish but in need of polish before its March release — while simultaneously building a multiplayer fantasy project dubbed Project Fantasy and finishing an unannounced RPG. Combined with ongoing support for World of Assassination, that’s a full plate.

The upshot for fans: IOI isn’t abandoning Hitman, but hitting “next” publicly is contingent on wrapping the current lifecycle. That likely means Hitman 4 development will ramp up in earnest only after co-op launches and the Bond spin-off is out the door. Realistically, that places a full sequel years away rather than months.

The gamer’s perspective — what to expect and watch for

If you play Hitman now, this is good news: there’s at least one ambitious piece of content on the horizon that could reshape multiplayer play in a franchise built on single-player sneaking. Expect more developer updates through next year. If you’re waiting for Hitman 4, steel yourself for a long runway — IOI wants to finish the current game properly before selling you on the next one.

Also keep a wary eye on IOI’s publishing ambitions. Its first in-house publishing attempt, Mindseye, famously flopped. That misstep doesn’t doom IOI’s new projects, but it’s a reminder that ambition and execution aren’t the same thing; quality control will be the decisive factor here.

TL;DR

IOI says it will only start talking about the next Hitman after shipping the Stone and Knight co-op for World of Assassination. That’s a welcome focus on finishing the current game, but it also means Hitman 4 is likely several years off. For now, the smart bet is to get excited about co-op and 007 First Light, and stay patient — IOI seems committed to polishing what they’ve already built before chasing the next big thing.