It was supposed to be the great return of the cult stealth series. All that’s left are a few trailers and the regret of IGI series fans

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I first wrote about a third game in the I.G.I. series back in March 2019, but now, more than six years later, it feels like that project has stalled and may never be released.

It’s a real shame, but AntiMatter Games, the team behind things like I.G.I. 2, got shut down by their parent company. That means their final project, I.G.I. Origins, is on hold indefinitely. I remember being really excited about it, and now it’s just…stuck. Let’s take a look back at what they were aiming for with that game and how things unfolded.

Emerging from the shadows

We first heard rumors about a possible sequel to I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike in January 2017. These were confirmed in May 2017 when Artplant, a studio based in Norway, announced they were developing the third game in the series, called *I.G.I.: We’re Going In*. The title hinted that the developers intended to create a cooperative shooting game, allowing players to team up and play together.

Despite initial plans, the development process hit a snag. In March 2019, a new iteration of *I.G.I.* was announced. This time, AntiMatter Games, the creators of the popular *Rising Storm 2: Vietnam*, were in charge. *I.G.I. Origins* was designed as a backstory to the existing games, and, similar to previous titles, would be a single-player experience emphasizing stealth.

I was so excited when the first trailer dropped in November 2019, and we finally got some details! The developers really wanted to capture the feel of 1980 – a time of huge shifts in the world, but still shadowed by the fear of nuclear war. The game was going to star a character named Regent, an MI6 agent skilled at operating behind enemy lines. Apparently, the story was going to show us the origins of the I.G.I. – how the Institute of Geotactical Intelligence actually came about.

The game centered around missions that would send players to different locations around the globe.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-44936

Phantom of problems

Honestly, the game development started hitting a lot of roadblocks and delays as time went on. The good news is the devs did show us some gameplay in September and December 2022, which helped keep us hyped. From what we saw, they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel – they seemed to be focusing on refining a formula that players already love, which I’m totally okay with!

The game *I.G.I. Origins* was designed with open-ended levels, allowing players to tackle objectives in their own way. Players were intended to explore diverse environments, including tundras, savannahs, and taigas.

We could play this game as a typical shooter, but it’s likely better to be stealthy and avoid triggering alarms. We’ll have access to both guns and helpful gadgets to use.

Simply put, this game is a classic. I was really hoping it wouldn’t have the same weak crosshair as the original, something I discussed in one of my older articles about retro games.

Players were thrilled with the latest release from *I.G.I. Origins*, and the development team expressed their gratitude for the support. However, Enad Global 7, the Swedish company in charge of AntiMatter Games, decided it couldn’t continue funding both the game and the studio itself. This led to the closure of AntiMatter Games in May 2023. As of today, the future of the game remains unclear.

(Un)certain future

In October 2023, Rich Barham, the director of *I.G.I. Origins*, revealed he’d tried to repurchase the rights to the *I.G.I.* brand and its source code from his previous employer, but they weren’t interested. He explained that the only way forward seemed to be finding a company that could persuade Enad Global 7 to revive the franchise, which they had essentially put on hold.

There was optimism in late 2023 that Enad Global 7 might still develop *I.G.I. Origins*. However, after two years with no updates, it’s likely the game will never see the light of day.

Thankfully, things worked out well for the developers. In July 2023, after AntiMatter Games closed, Behaviour Interactive hired the team, including Rich Barham. They will now be working as Behaviour UK – South.

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2025-10-19 23:03