IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series and 007 First Light , announced that it is laying off staff after a relationship with an "external partner" on its next big franchise, Project Fantasy, "has come to an end." IO has described Project Fantasy as an "online fantasy RPG" , and Kotaku and Bloomberg report that Microsoft, which is planning significant cuts as part of a broader "reset" of the Xbox business, was going to be the game's publisher. It's unclear how many people will be affected by IO's "staffing decisions." The company says "we are fully committed to supporting those affected through this challenging transition." IO al … Read the full story at The Verge.