We continue our review of 2024 together with top managers and experts from the games industry (and related fields). Up next is an interview with Lisa Kretschmer, Studio Manager at IO Interactive.
What was the year like for IOI in general and IOI Istanbul specifically? What would you like to highlight in terms of achievements?
IOI has had a fantastic year! Hitman is performing strongly, and we have two major games in development. Recently, we announced IOI Partners, our brand-new publishing division, and we’re excited to be publishing Build A Rocket Boy’s AAA game, MindsEye. Additionally, we are expanding our teams across five locations. With our recent move into a new office in Istanbul, we’re extremely proud to have created a fun and functional environment for our talented team members. We’ve also received strong interest from local companies and universities for potential collaborations, which we believe is an important step in integrating into the local industry.
MindsEye
One achievement worth highlighting is our IOI Future Devs program, which we launched in November. We successfully onboarded 10 students to work part-time with us while balancing their studies. These students are supporting our development teams as QA testers while gaining hands-on experience with AAA workflows and IOI pipelines. Currently unique to our Istanbul studio, we are proud of the program’s success and the growing interest in it, with plans to expand it in the future.
How has the situation on the games market changed from your point of view?
The games market in 2024 has faced global challenges, yet we’ve still seen notable successes. AAA titles like Elden Ring continue to impress, while indie games like Black Myth: Wukong have emerged as unexpected hits. The market isn’t necessarily saturated, but the key challenge now is finding a unique space amidst the competition. Innovation and fresh ideas remain crucial, and developers must carve out distinct niches to stand out in an increasingly crowded landscape.
What was the year like for the genre(s) you work in?
2024 has been an exciting year for the games industry, with major releases and fan favorites such as Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Prince of Persia, Star Wars Outlaws, and most recently, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
For Hitman, we brought fresh and exciting content to the market with our Elusive Targets, featuring famous names like Sean Bean and Jean Claude Van Damme.
HITMAN World of Assassination
It’s unfortunate to see so many studios closing or restructuring, but despite those challenging times, we are still able to witness successful releases across AAA, AA, and indie games this year. Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be an even bigger year for players, with some great releases already on the horizon. As for us, stay tuned for more Hitman content as we continue to engage and cater to our dedicated community.
What plans does the Istanbul studio and IOI in general have for 2025?
In 2025, we will continue working on two major AAA releases: Project 007 and Project Fantasy, alongside more Hitman content. These projects will allow us to engage both current players and attract new ones. Project 007 and Project Fantasy are our most ambitious projects to date, and we’re thrilled by the excitement within the local gaming community to contribute to their development. We’re grateful to be in a position to foster AAA game development in Turkey and look forward to what the future holds.
Our plan for the Istanbul studio in 2025 is to grow our team and strengthen our connections within the local industry. We aim to support young talent by hosting guest lectures, offering mentorship, organizing knowledge-sharing sessions, and more—using our experience to give back. As a AAA developer in Turkey, we will continue to hire local talent while bringing in experts from abroad to help us create exceptional experiences. There’s a lot to look forward to in 2025—stay tuned!