Development of the ShooterofIO franchise
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The ShooterofIO franchise is a first-person shooter video game franchise developed by SOI Studios, Air Studios, War Games, and Supreme Studios. The franchise is published by Monsteristic and is owned by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Gaming portfolio.
The franchise began in 2023 with the release of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops. Since then, the series has expanded through multiple sub-series and settings, including the modern military-focused Modern Ops games and the darker, near-future Dark Warfare titles.
As of 2026, the franchise consists of four main entries, with Dark Warfare II serving as the next major installment.
History
2021–2023: Foundation and ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops
In 2021, publisher Monsteristic established SOI Studios as a dedicated internal development team focused on creating a large-scale first-person shooter franchise capable of supporting both annual releases and long-term live-service content.
Development on the franchise's debut title, ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops, began shortly afterward. The team sought to create a grounded military shooter inspired by contemporary warfare while avoiding direct depictions of real-world conflicts. Instead, the game's campaign focused on fictional global tensions involving rival military coalitions.
To improve authenticity, developers consulted military veterans, studied modern combat tactics, and researched military technology used throughout the early 21st century. Multiplayer was designed around accessible gameplay that rewarded both casual and competitive players. The development team emphasized balanced weapon design, fast-paced movement, and map layouts that encouraged constant engagement.
ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops was released worldwide on November 10, 2023, receiving strong commercial success and establishing the foundation for the franchise.
2023–2024: Expansion with Dark Warfare
Following the success of Modern Ops, development responsibilities rotated to Air Studios, which began work on a darker and more experimental entry for the franchise.
Released on October 12, 2024, ShooterofIO: Dark Warfare introduced a near-future setting featuring advanced military technology, covert operations, and global conspiracies. The game also expanded the franchise's Zombies mode and introduced a more cinematic campaign structure.
Dark Warfare became the franchise's most commercially successful title at the time and significantly expanded the player base. The game's post-launch support included multiple seasons, new multiplayer maps, additional Zombies experiences, and narrative updates.
2024–2025: Return of the Modern Ops series
Development returned to SOI Studios for the franchise's third installment, ShooterofIO: Modern Ops 2.
The studio focused on refining systems introduced in previous titles while modernizing movement, weapon customization, progression systems, and multiplayer content. The game launched with an extensive selection of multiplayer maps, a new campaign storyline, and expanded cooperative experiences.
Modern Ops 2 was released on November 3, 2025, for current-generation platforms and PC. The title continued the franchise's commercial growth and maintained a large live-service ecosystem through seasonal updates.
2025–present: Development of Dark Warfare II
In late 2025, Air Studios began development of Dark Warfare II, the fourth main entry in the franchise and the direct sequel to Dark Warfare.
The game expands upon the near-future setting introduced in its predecessor while introducing new gameplay systems, a redesigned Zombies experience, and the largest multiplayer offering in franchise history.
Marketing for the title began throughout 2026, including multiplayer reveals, developer blogs, gameplay showcases, and Zombies-focused promotional events.
Dark Warfare II is scheduled for release in 2026.
Technology
Throughout its history, the ShooterofIO franchise has utilized proprietary iterations of the SOI Engine.
Beginning with SOI Engine 1.0 in Modern Ops, the technology evolved significantly through subsequent releases. Features introduced across the series include:
- Dynamic global illumination
- Advanced HDR lighting
- Real-time shadow rendering
- Enhanced physics simulation
- Bullet penetration systems
- Destructible environmental elements
- High-player-count networking technology
- Advanced artificial intelligence systems
Each major installment has introduced improvements to the engine while maintaining compatibility with the franchise's large-scale multiplayer experiences.
Games
Released
| Title | Platform(s) | Release date | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops | Windows | November 10, 2023 | SOI Studios | Monsteristic |
| PlayStation 5 | ||||
| Xbox Series X/S | ||||
| ShooterofIO: Dark Warfare | Windows | October 12, 2024 | Air Studios | |
| PlayStation 5 | ||||
| Xbox Series X/S | ||||
| ShooterofIO: Modern Ops 2 | Windows | November 3, 2025 | SOI Studios | |
| PlayStation 5 | ||||
| Xbox Series X/S |
Upcoming
| Title | Platform(s) | Release date | Developer | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Warfare II | Windows | 2026 | Air Studios | Monsteristic | Direct sequel to ShooterofIO: Dark Warfare |
| PlayStation 5 | |||||
| Xbox Series X/S |