Hitman dev “swore never to do more toilets” to save money on development costs

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In simpler terms, the CEO of IO Interactive shared that they didn’t design unique bathrooms for each installment of the Hitman series, which has allowed them to save resources within their studio.

In many cases within the AAA industry, efficiently utilizing resources and budgets becomes crucial after a successful product release, to minimize the likelihood of layoffs following.

During an appearance on The Game Business Show podcast on June 24th, Hakan Abrak, the CEO, explained that recycling specific game elements helped establish a more environmentally-friendly approach to doing business.

In response to host Christopher Dring’s question about how they’ve handled the increasing costs associated with game development, Abrak explained…

Absolutely, it’s quite a formidable task, but I have a feeling that IO has consistently excelled beyond expectations. To clarify, Abrak explained how IO meticulously designs new assets for each new Hitman installment, such as the various hideaways – a favorite spot for stashing incapacitated bodies in any Hitman game.

He mentioned that they were starting fresh with everything, and what they created initially wasn’t meant to last. For the game Hitman 2016, they designed it so that they could gradually add intelligent content over time.

After the project known as Absolution, Abrak decided it was wise to recycle assets when appropriate, stating, “When you examine our work in Hitman, particularly following Absolution, I, who served as the Executive Producer on Absolution, vowed never again to create additional bathrooms.

Hitman budgets compared

Although IO successfully cut expenses through various means instead of recycling bathrooms between matches, Abrak mentioned that this practice didn’t seem to influence the critical reception, as the games continued to be well-received while becoming increasingly cheaper to produce.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to offer an approximation: “If we put Hitman ’16 in the hundred-million ballpark, then perhaps Hitman 2 came in at around sixty million. For Hitman 3, it seems to be approximately twenty million.

Looking at the Metacritic ratings for Hitman from its 2016 soft reboot up until Hitman 3 in 2022, you’ll notice that the game series has consistently maintained a high critical acclaim.

007 First Light, an authorized action-adventure game set within the James Bond universe, will be IO’s upcoming release.

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2025-06-28 16:48