In 1998, seven Danish developers founded IO Interactive in Copenhagen and set out to make a simple shooter. The concept evolved into something nobody had ever seen before: a genetically cloned bald assassin in a suit named Agent 47. They built their own engine called Glacier entirely from scratch, and invented ragdoll physics just to make deaths look realistic, which immediately caught the eye of publisher Eidos Interactive. Hitman Codename 47 launched in November 2000 as a brutal, divisive cult classic. Hitman 2 Silent Assassin followed in 2002 and sold over 3.7 million copies. Hitman Contracts came in 2004, and 2006's Hitman Blood Money is still widely considered the greatest game in the series. Hitman Absolution in 2012 divided the fanbase completely. When IO rebooted the series episodically in 2016, Square Enix was unhappy with sales and put the studio up for sale in May 2017. Rather than wait to be bought, IO performed a management buyout in June 2017, becoming fully independent and keeping the rights to Hitman. Hitman 2 in 2018 and Hitman 3 in January 2021 completed the World of Assassination trilogy, which has been played by over 40 million people. Seven developers, one homemade engine, 25 years of Agent 47. #hitman #iointeractive #gaming #gaminghistory - @nicotine_and_knives_en