IO Interactive

IO Interactive is an independent Danish AAA game developer and publisher best known for creating the Hitman franchise. Founded in 1998, the Copenhagen-headquartered studio has built a catalogue of stealth-action and action-adventure games that includes Hitman: Codename 47, Freedom Fighters, Kane & Lynch, and Mini Ninjas.

After periods of ownership by Eidos Interactive and Square Enix, IO Interactive’s leadership completed a management buyout in 2017. The studio regained independence along with ownership of the Hitman and Freedom Fighters intellectual property, enabling it to develop and publish games under its own direction.

Games and publishing

IO Interactive developed and self-published Hitman 3, which evolved into the unified HITMAN World of Assassination platform. Its recent releases also include 007 First Light, an original James Bond origin story made in collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios.

The company is developing Project Fantasy, an online action RPG for which it regained full IP and publishing ownership in 2026. Alongside its internal games, IO Interactive established IO Interactive Partners A/S for third-party publishing initiatives; the division briefly published Build A Rocket Boy’s MindsEye before the agreement concluded in 2026.

Technology and development

The studio uses its proprietary Glacier game engine, developed to support high-density systemic sandbox environments and AI interactions. Its capabilities span full-cycle AAA game design and development, engine architecture and tooling, DCC pipeline integration, digital and physical publishing, and live-service and post-launch support.

IO Interactive’s games are designed for console and PC audiences, with a particular focus on systems-driven stealth, action-adventure gameplay, and emergent world design. The company continues to operate as an independent developer and publisher with a European studio network supporting its flagship franchises and new original properties.