Developer IO Interactive will focus on a new intellectual property following the release of Hitman: Absolution in 2012, studio head Niels Jorgensen has revealed.

As one of Square Enix's "core IPs," Hitman is slated to continue beyond the currently announced title. Square Enix revealed late last month that a new studio would be formed in Montreal to work on the franchise. IO Interactive is also set to work on "another Hitman project" after Absolution, separate to the Square Enix Montreal-developed title.

In an interview with Gamasutra, Jorgensen said IO Interactive would work with Square Enix Montreal on its Hitman title along with developing a new property. An update to that report from Square Enix clarified that IO Interactive "will roll onto" another Hitman title, bringing the franchise's current development count to three new games.

Speaking on the subject of new properties, Jorgensen said that it was essential for developers to keep projects diverse: "When people work on the same IP for some time, I believe that there's a sort of creative drain," he told Gamasutra. "Thankfully we managed to make sure we keep focusing on different IPs and keeping people fresh."

During a lengthy break from the Hitman franchise, IO Interactive developed the Kane & Lynch franchise, which spawned two titles with middling review averages.