IO Interactive is the AAA video game development company that developed the Hitman video games and some other video games.

www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1372272

It's time forCD Projekt RED and gog.com to purchase the Hitman Intellectual Property (IP) from SQUARE-ENIX and start selling Hitman: Blood Mony, Hitman Absolutiona and HITMAN on gog.com.

Get CD Projekt RED or someone to develop about four or so more episodes for season one, develop ten episodes for season two and so on for the new HITMAN video game that SQUARE-ENIX published and released for sale in 2016.

Io-Interactive's website has yet to be updated, it still says "a Square Enix company", despite the withdrawal being over a month ago.

This, of course, assumes that:

1) The Hitman IP is actually being sold alongside IO, instead of Square Enix keeping it for themselves (perhaps to hand it over to a different developer for the next Hitman).
2) CDPR can afford to spend a lot of money, while they are deep in development of Cyberpunk 2077.
3) Some other company, who has a lot more money than CDPR (Activision, EA, Ubisoft, Zenimax), won't make a significantly better offer for its purchase.

I seriously doubt they have the money to acquire the IP.

That doesn't mean a thing. They may very well still be looking at selling. Such business moves don't happen overnight. From the excerpt in the neogaf thread it sounds like SE had just started exploring their options.

"As a result, the Company [Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.] has regrettably decided to withdraw from the business of IO Interactive A/S, a wholly-owned subsidiary and a Danish corporation, as of March 31, 2017."

Right, I may have read it wrong. It seems like it could mean they decided on the 31st of March, not that they necessarily withdrew as of that date.

I am not surprised. Square-enix always want to make sure the good sale of games. If a game does not sell enough, co-operation ends with game developing company. This is what Square-enix call good business.

I hope somebody helps IO Interactive to continue video game business.

So, was the new Hitman not a hit?

It was a Failureman. A failure, man!

It's time for CD Projekt RED to continue ignoring Johnathanamz's asinine ideas.

In other words, anyone that wants the Hitman games drm-free on gog better grab them soon.

good to read!

That is very unlikely. Number wise, Hitman at this point is the second most successful franchise of the former Eidos branch. SE will make adjustments and either give it to one of their other studios or outsource it to a independent developer, but they will not sell the rights for it.

Totally ruin Hitman, then infest it with DRM, then make it episodic, then be stunned when it doesn't do very well. Genius.

Source: IO Interactive's Twitter