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

Back in March 2019, when I wrote that the I.G.I. series was getting a third installment, I never thought that over six years later, I'd be considering this project as one of those dead-in-the-water ventures that probably won't see the light of day again.

Unfortunately, even though AntiMatter Games had big plans, their parent company decided to shut them down and put the rights to their last unfinished project on ice. Let's recall how this happened and what I.G.I. Origins was actually supposed to be.

Emerging from the shadows

The first time we heard that I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike might get a sequel was in January 2017. These reports were confirmed in May 2017 when the Norwegian studio Artplant announced that it was working on the third installment of the series, titled I.G.I.: We’re Going In. As the title suggested, the creators planned to offer us a co-op shooter.

Nevertheless, something must have gone wrong along the way because in March 2019, the third I.G.I. was announced again. This time, the production was being handled by AntiMatter Games, the studio known for the well-received Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. I.G.I. Origins was meant to be a prequel to the series and, like its predecessors, focused on solo gameplay with a stealthy approach.

November 2019 not only brought the first trailer for this project but also a handful of specifics about it. The creators wanted to set their story in 1980, a time when the world was on the brink of big changes, but the threat of nuclear war was still looming. The main character of the game was supposed to be a guy named Regent, an MI6 agent who specializes in missions in enemy territories. The creation production was supposed to show us how the Institute of Geotactical Intelligence (I.G.I.) came to be.

The driving force of the gameplay was to be missions that would take us to various corners of the world.

Phantom of problems

Unfortunately, over time, the whole project started facing more and more delays. On the flip side, the creators tried to ease any worries players might have by dropping some gameplay footage back in September and December 2022. It seemed like the developers weren't planning on shaking things up too much. Instead, they wanted to stick with a tried-and-true gameplay formula that people already enjoy.

I.G.I. Origins was set to offer us maps with an open structure, giving us the freedom to choose how we approach completing various tasks. During the gameplay, we were supposed to visit places like the tundra, savannah, and taiga.

Of course, we could try playing this game like a classic shooter, but it's probably smarter to sneak around and avoid setting off any alarms. At our disposal would be not only a variety of guns but also useful gadgets.

In short – a classic. I was hoping that the game wouldn't skimp on the crosshair, like it did in the first installment (which I wrote about in one of my Retro Gaming articles).

Fans of the brand were pretty excited about the new stuff from I.G.I. Origins, and the developers thanked them for their support. Unfortunately, the Swedish holding company Enad Global 7, which oversaw AntiMatter Games, seemingly determined that it wasn't sufficient to keep funding both the mentioned project and the studio responsible for it. As a result, in May 2023, news broke that Antimatter Games would be closed. The fate of the game was uncertain at that time... and remains so to this day.

I.G.I. Origins. Source: AntiMatter Games.

(Un)certain future

In October 2023, Rich Barham, the director of I.G.I. Origins mentioned that he reached out to his former employers to see if they could buy back the rights to the I.G.I. brand and the source code. However, his offer was declined. As Barham stated at the time, the only hope for this endeavor seemed to be finding an entity capable and willing to convince Enad Global 7 to take it out of their "freezer."

Back in fall 2023, there was still some hope that Enad Global 7 had plans for I.G.I. Origins. But now, two years later, it's probably safe to say we shouldn't hold our breath for this game to ever be released.

Fortunately, the devs experienced a sort of "happy end." In July 2023, after AntiMatter Games shut down, Behaviour Interactive announced that it had taken in its former employees, including Rich Barham. From now on, the devs were going to operate as Behaviour UK – South.

I.G.I. Origins

cancelled

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• Overview

• stealth games
• FPP shooters (FPS)
• cancelled games
• I.G.I. (series)
• Antimatter Games
• Toadman Interactive
• Necro Gaming