Hitman 3 is out now and we're celebrating by diving into the history of the IO Interactive franchise. We tackle the rights issues, the impact of a suave Agent 47, and how it's gameplay is put to use by players. In short, we tell you exactly why Hitman matters.

If you're unfamiliar with the video game stealth-adventure franchise, Hitman helped revolutionize the stealth video game genre, and while it may have floated under folks' radar the past few decades, the upcoming release of Hitman 3 warrants Agent 47's celebration. Whether you like to sneak your way towards targets or go in guns blazing (Kate), the franchise has remained versatile over its years of developer drama. The plot throughout the series' history has also been impressively thick, and we're not just talking about how good Agent 47 looks in suits (Kate).