Among its other advancements, Hitman: Absolution is the first game to be developed using the new Glacier 2 engine. Due for a break from the Hitman franchise, IO shifted to other projects for the next half a decade.įast-forward six years and it seems the developer is ready to revive the infamous Agent 47 in Hitman's fifth game, which crept onto shelves last Tuesday, November 20 - or the 47th week of the year. IO followed up on the success of its first title by releasing a sequel, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, in 2002 for PC and major consoles, as well as a third entry, Hitman: Contracts, in 2004, and a fourth, Hitman: Blood Money, in 2006.
Founded in 1998 and currently a subsidiary of Square Enix, IO Interactive is best known for creating the critically acclaimed stealth action series Hitman, which began with 2000's Hitman: Codename 47, a PC exclusive developed using the Glacier game engine and one of the earliest titles to feature ragdoll physics.