In late 2011, Square Enix opened a new studio in Montreal, which they dubbed “Square Enix Montreal”. At the time, Square said that the studio was working on a new game in the Hitman series, separate from the franchise’s regular handler, IO Interactive.
This game, which was meant to be a reimagining of Hitman, has now been cancelled, according to a Videogamer.com report.
The discovery comes by way of a LinkedIn profile belonging to Richard Knight, a Senior Game Designer who was involved with the game. Knight’s profile lists a Hitman project for PC, current and next-generation consoles, which has now been cancelled.
Meanwhile, the profile of a second senior designer named Heath Smith mentions that the game was to be a reimagining of the Hitman series.
Square Enix Montreal may not be working on a new Hitman reimagining any more, but the studio still has a purpose: back in June 2013, Square Enix announced—amidst management changes throughout the company—that their Montreal studio would be focusing on games for tablets, and it appears this is still the case.
A third LinkedIn profile, this one belonging to a Anthony Pressacco, a Senior Network Programmer at Square Enix Montreal, states that the studio is now at work on an unannounced Hitman title for iOS and Android devices. That having been said, Smith’s profile also mentions an unannounced game for AAA third-person action adventure game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Just what this game is is unknown.
[Videogamer.com via Polygon]
