Hitman 3 Cost Only a Fifth of Hitman 2016 Because IO Interactive Stopped Making “More New Toilets,” CEO Reveals

IO Interactive’s CEO, Hakan Abrak, recently shared how the studio managed to slash the budget for Hitman 3 to just one-fifth of what Hitman 2016 cost. The big change? They stopped making everything new from scratch every time, especially things like bathrooms. Abrak joked, “I swore never to do more new toilets.”

After IO Interactive became independent from Square Enix in 2017, they realized they had to be smarter with how they spent money. Abrak told The Game Business that before, the studio wasted a lot of resources building completely new content for every game, which wasn’t sustainable. Bathrooms, for example, were “just a throwaway” that took time and money but didn’t add much.

When they started work on Hitman 2016, IO decided to change their method. They created what they call the “brick system,” which focuses on making reusable assets and tools. Instead of building new things from zero every time, they reuse and improve what they already have. This helped them save money without lowering quality.

Abrak gave some rough numbers to show how well this worked: “If Hitman 2016 was $100 million, then Hitman 2 was maybe $60 million, and Hitman 3 was $20 million.” Even with the smaller budget, Hitman 3 got the best reviews, with Metacritic scores between 85 and 87. It still offered new, unique locations, proving that cutting costs didn’t mean cutting corners.

Abrak explained that the studio learned this lesson the hard way after Hitman: Absolution in 2012. He said that production was wasteful back then, and he changed the way they worked. “With Absolution, we wasted so much. It was a wasteful production. As studio production director back then, I completely changed our thinking.” That change helped IO create a more sustainable way to build games.

While Hitman 3’s budget got smaller, IO hasn’t stopped aiming high. Abrak mentioned that their upcoming game, 007: First Light, will have a bigger budget because it’s more ambitious. Still, they will keep their efficient approach. “At IO, we have a really, really good way of trying to be efficient. That’s extremely important to us,” he said.

Abrak also talked about the video game industry in general. He pointed out how many companies rushed to grow during the COVID years, which caused problems like layoffs later on. But IO stayed careful and only grew as fast as their team could handle. “We could have grown a lot more. We could have taken on more projects. But I think we’ve been very mindful about growing with the pace of where our culture and our expertise could follow.”

IO’s approach to Hitman has been about building a live-service experience. They combined Hitman 2016, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3 into the World of Assassination series, which keeps getting new content. This strategy has paid off, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. It shows how careful planning and smart reuse can bring both money and happy players.

Abrak also hinted that the new James Bond game, 007: First Light, will use the lessons learned from Hitman. He said it will have better stealth, more action, and cool new gameplay like driving exotic cars and seamless combat. “The first objective with 007 First Light is to come out with the best possible, most impactful journey for gamers,” Abrak said. He added that they will apply what they learned from Hitman to make the Bond game stand out.

In short, IO Interactive found a smart way to balance big ideas with careful spending. By cutting waste and reusing assets, they made successful, high-quality games while keeping budgets low. This approach helped them survive as an independent studio and build a strong future for their games.

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