Hitman creator IO Interactive is moving onto something new after Hitman: Absolution, with the series continuing at Square Enix's new Montreal studio. But how will this crazy arrangement work, and who will shape the future of Hitman? IO has answered a few questions.

"It's like with Treyarch and Infinity Ward," Absolution director Tore Blystad told Official PlayStation Magazine, drawing a comparison with Call of Duty's pattern of alternating developers. "You have an IP that has been developed. They will feed off each other, as well as somethings that stand out. I think with these big franchises it takes a long time to develop just one game. If you can, work a little bit in parallel at least and help each other out."

Square Enix Montreal will have its own take on the murder simulator, though, and Blystad likens it to the Alien series. "Every time someone gets their hands on a franchise they do something different. So rather than doing the same thing again you get another take on the character from a fresh perspective."

It won't be left entirely to its own devices, mind, as IO will still watch over the series. Blystad says several of the studio's "key developers" are from IO, so it's not a wholly new team either.

Our Andrew was jolly pleased with Absolution, so it'll be interesting to see how Square Enix Montreal's first entry shapes up. Not everyone is thrilled with how Absolution shook up the Hitman formula, though.