Shock of the day: IO Interactive leaves Leslie Benzies
The most discussed topic today is the sudden end of cooperation between IO Interactive and the studio Build A Rocket Boy (BARB). The publishing division of the Hitman authors (IOI Partners) has officially resigned from releasing the ambitious action game MindsEye.
What happened? Now the studio of Leslie Benzies (the same Rockstar veteran and “father” of GTA) will publish the game independently. Although the parties officially declare a “mutual decision,” behind the scenes they whisper about something else. Insiders report that MindsEye's recent internal tests have disappointed the publisher. As a result, IOI decided not to take risks and focus all its efforts on its own hits - Project 007 about James Bond and the expansion of the Hitman universe.
What will happen to the game? Let us remind you that MindsEye is a high-octane action movie about corporate conspiracies in the future. Despite the loss of his partner, Benzies remains optimistic: development continues and the release is still scheduled for 2026. Now BARB is urgently looking for new distributors. For the industry, this is a wake-up call - the project was positioned as the main competitor to GTA, and for IO Interactive this decision means a rollback from the ambitions of becoming a large third-party publisher.
Briefly about other important events:
Last chance in Fortnite.Today is a decisive 24 hours for all skin lovers. Starting tomorrow, March 19th, Epic Games is changing the prices for V-Bucks. The currency in the sets will become more expensive (the actual price increase will be from 11% to 15%). Social networks are buzzing: players are calling for a boycott, and the most practical ones are massively purchasing “for future use” until the price tags are rewritten.
Crimson Desert: More than Skyrim? There are only a few hours left before the world release of the main long-term construction from Pearl Abyss. The final technical previews of Crimson Desert appeared today. It turned out that their BlackSpace Engine produces incredible things: a seamless game world twice the size of Skyrim. It's no surprise that the project is currently topping the pre-order charts on Steam and PS Store. We're looking forward to tomorrow, March 19!
Surprises from Nintendo Today's Partner Preview presentation delighted Ninka fans. The main news is the sudden release (shadow-drop) of the adventure Minishoot' Adventures, which you can play now. We were also shown Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault for the first time. The games will be released on both the current Switch and the next generation console.
New Jersey Mobile Excitement Some financial analytics: The state of New Jersey reported gaming industry revenue for February. The figure is astonishing - more than 520 million dollars. The growth has been ongoing for a year now, thanks to the boom in mobile online casinos (iGaming).
Stay tuned, stay tuned, and update your Fortnite balance before your carriage turns into a pumpkin!
