That doesn’t mean, however, that Io-Interactive will necessarily be the studio developing any future Hitman titles, however.
Square Enix recently released an English translation of its May 11th earnings briefing in which it announced its divestiture of Io-Interactive.
It does seem possible that Square Enix would sell the rights to the series (and other Io-developed games), even if the buyer wasn’t interested in picking up the studio.
In the translation, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda says, following a reference to the games Io-Interactive is currently developing, Square Enix is “negotiating with prospective external investors capable of ensuring that these titles carry on.”