IO pulls Hitman content featuring Conor McGregor following court ruling

IO Interactive has cut ties with Conor McGregor following a recent court ruling against the MMA star.

McGregor was last week ordered to pay $260,000 in damages after a jury at a civil trial at Ireland’s high court found that he’d assaulted Nikita Hand, who had accused him of raping her.

“In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately,” the Danish company behind Hitman said in a statement published on X.

“We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today.”

Hitman World of Assassination’s limited-time Elusive Target mission The Disruptor, which features the likeness and voiceover work of McGregor, was released this summer and returned again this month.

The mission, which was due to be available from November 15 until December 8, was also included as part of the free Hitman World of Assassination starter pack.

IO also previously released a Disruptor DLC pack “giving players permanent access to The Ostentatious, an arcade contract featuring The Disruptor, as well as a new outfit, items, and a set of cosmetics for the freelancer house”.

The studio announced this month that Hitman World of Assassination’s PlayStation VR2 release date had been delayed from December to March 2025.

IO Interactive recently established a third-party publishing division, IOI Partners. It has signed MindsEye, the “first AAA premium game” from Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by former GTA producer Leslie Benzies.