Eidos Interactive
The publisher that gave a thief a city and a genre a name.
Eidos Interactive was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its franchises were Championship Manager, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief, Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider. The company was formed after Domark was acquired by software company Eidos in 1995, and its operations were merged to create the publishing subsidiary Eidos Interactive. In 2005, parent Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi. The combined company, SCi Entertainment Group, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was itself taken over by Square Enix in 2009. Square Enix completed the merger with Eidos Interactive by November 2009, absorbing it primarily into group company Square Enix Limited.
- Headquarters
- Wimbledon, London
- Acquired by
- Square Enix
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Eidos Interactive was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its franchises were Championship Manager, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief, Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider. The company was formed after Domark was acquired by software company Eidos in 1995, and its operations were merged to create the publishing subsidiary Eidos Interactive. In 2005, parent Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi. The combined company, SCi Entertainment Group, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was itself taken over by Square Enix in 2009. Square Enix completed the merger with Eidos Interactive by November 2009, absorbing it primarily into group company Square Enix Limited.
In Their Own Story
The office smelled of cold coffee and ozone from the monitor banks. A junior producer pinned a printout of the Thief II level design to the corkboard—canals, rooftops, the undercity warrens—and murmured, "They want more of the city, not more of the corridor." Across the glass-walled room, a phone rang. London rain streaked the window. Somewhere in a small studio, a developer was wiring a trapdoor to a pressure plate, and the publisher's job was simply to make sure the check cleared on time and the retail shelf existed. That was the whole architecture of it: someone builds the lock, someone opens the door to the world.
Reader's Guide
Eidos Interactive was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its franchises were Championship Manager, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief, Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider. The company was formed after Domark was acquired by software company Eidos in 1995, and its operations were merged to create the publishing subsidiary Eidos Interactive. In 2005, parent Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi. The combined company, SCi Entertainment Group, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was itself taken over by Square Enix in 2009. Square Enix completed the merger with Eidos Interactive by November 2009, absorbing it primarily into group company Square Enix Limited.
Did You Know?
- Eidos Interactive was formed after Domark was acquired by software company Eidos in 1995.
- Eidos took over U.S. Gold in 1996, which included developer Core Design.
- The company acquired Crystal Dynamics in 1998.
- Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi in 2005.
- Square Enix completed the merger with Eidos Interactive by November 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eidos Interactive?
Eidos Interactive was a London-based video game publisher founded by David Jones. For Thief fans, they are the company that financed and released the original Thief (1998) and Thief II: The Dark Project (2000).
Did Eidos Interactive actually develop the Thief games?
No—Eidos served purely as the publisher, supplying the budget, platform partnerships, and marketing muscle behind the scenes. The hands-on development of Thief and Thief II was carried out by Looking Glass Studios, while Thief III was later built by Silicon Knights under Eidos's publishing banner.
What happened to Eidos Interactive as a company?
Eidos Interactive was ultimately absorbed by Square Enix, which folded its publishing operations into the larger Japanese parent. After the acquisition, the Thief franchise and other former Eidos titles fell under Square Enix's stewardship.
Why is Eidos Interactive important to the Thief legacy?
By choosing to back a small studio's unconventional stealth concept, Eidos gave Looking Glass the runway to craft a game that essentially defined an entire genre. Without that publisher's financial and logistical support, Thief and its sequel likely never would have reached players.
Did Eidos publish anything notable beyond Thief?
Absolutely—their catalogue spanned major franchises such as Tomb Raider and Hitman, along with a long list of licensed properties. Thief, however, remains one of the most culturally resonant titles they ever shipped, especially in the stealth-action space.
More in Development & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Thief universe
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