Io-Interactive A/S

A Danish video game developer founded in 1998, best known for creating the Hitman stealth-action franchise.

Action



Website

Founded

1998

Acquired

2004

HQ

Copenhagen, Denmark

Known for

Action / Stealth / Shooter

19

Games

2000–2009

Years

9

Platforms

$7.05

Ø CIB

+2%

24M change

About

Io-Interactive A/S, commonly known as IO Interactive, is a game development studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company gained international prominence with the release of Hitman: Codename 47 in 2000 and its highly acclaimed 2002 sequel Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. They are also known for developing the 2003 tactical shooter Freedom Fighters and the Kane & Lynch series.

Founded in September 1998 as a joint venture between Nordisk Film and the development group Reto-Moto, the studio created the proprietary Glacier game engine to power its projects. This technology enabled advanced physics and crowd rendering, which became a hallmark of their stealth-action design.

In 2004, Eidos Interactive acquired the studio. This ownership transitioned to Square Enix in 2009 following its acquisition of Eidos. During this corporate era, the developer expanded its portfolio with titles like the action-adventure game Mini Ninjas (2009).

The studio underwent a significant transition in 2017 when Square Enix decided to sell the company. Management successfully negotiated a buyout, securing independent status and retaining the intellectual property rights to their signature franchises. As an independent entity, the developer completed its acclaimed World of Assassination trilogy, comprising Hitman (2016), Hitman 2 (2018), and Hitman 3 (2021). In 2020, the studio announced Project 007, an origin story featuring the James Bond license. The company has since expanded, opening additional offices in Malmö, Barcelona, Istanbul, and Brighton.