HITMAN 3 enjoyed a very successful 2021. After becoming the best-selling game in IO Interactive’s history and one of the highest rated games of the year, IOI announced that new content would continue into 2022.
The full HITMAN Trilogy is launching as a single package on January 20th and will also launch on Xbox Game Pass the same day. January 20th will also mark the beginning of Season 2 content with the future looking very bright for fans. Here’s the full breakdown of what’s coming:
First up is Elusive Target: Arcade which launches on January 20th.
Elusive Target Arcade is a brand new game mode that takes the Elusive Target concept to the next level, mixes up the formula and introduces new challenges and unlockable rewards – all whilst keeping the essence of what makes Elusive Targets exciting and interesting to play.
There are several significant chances to the mode here: Each Arcade Contract now tasks you with taking down consecutive Elusive Targets, one contract after the other. Each one must be completed to proceed to the next – and there are additional complications added to the contract as well.
If you fail an Arcade Contract at any point, there will be a 12-hour lockout before you can retry the contract again from the start. This lockout enables us to keep the high-stakes gameplay that is a hallmark of Elusive Targets, whilst also giving players a clear indication of when they are able to play a particular Elusive Target again.
Crucially, Arcade Contracts are permanent additions to HITMAN 3. Once we add one to the game, they won’t go away.
Our aims with this game mode are; to give players the chance to engage and play Elusive Target content more frequently, provide a new challenge for long-time players in the Elusive Target game mode, create a new type of recurring content that will reward players with desirable unlocks.
When HITMAN 3 – Year 2 begins on January 20, the Arcade will also be open with a total of 3 Arcade Contracts, each one with Elusive Targets from a specific game in the World of Assassination trilogy. As you can see in the screenshot, the Ellipses Arcade Contract has three targets from HITMAN 3. Two other Arcade Contracts will also be available on January 20 with targets from HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 respectively.
As we move through the year, more Arcade Contracts will be added to the Arcade. We can’t wait to see our players take on this new challenge!
Next, HITMAN Freelancer launches in Spring.
Freelancer is a brand new, single-player mode coming to HITMAN 3 that introduces rogue-like elements, strategic planning and a customisable safehouse.
Let’s start by exploring one of the new maps coming to HITMAN 3 in Year 2: Agent 47’s Safehouse. This playable space is an entirely different type of location and we’ve never built anything like it before. It’s customisable and allows you to choose exactly what type of Hitman you are (or want Agent 47 to be!). As you progress through Freelancer, more areas of the Safehouse can be unlocked and new customisation options will become available.
You can configure and customise the safehouse to your exact specifications and spend as much time as you want there. Whether you want to pick out a new suit, browse and test your weapons at the firing range or make changes to your décor, it’s all possible. The Safehouse is also an important space because all of your pre-mission planning takes place there.
After exploring the safehouse, it’s time to work. 47 will have access to a ‘mission hub’ where he can view all of the currently available Freelancer campaigns, each one representing a criminal enterprise that is prominent across the World of Assassination. It’s entirely your choice which campaign you pick and each one will take you on a globetrotting campaign to a selection of locations.
For each campaign, you need to choose the order you want to play the missions. After each mission, you’ll return to the safehouse to restock, resupply and strategically plan your next move. Whichever location you leave until last will be where you’ll corner the Leader of the enterprise. Blow their cover, eliminate them, and the campaign is complete. You get paid and return to your safehouse.
Campaign missions have been reworked to fit the Freelancer mode. For example, locations will have new NPC types, that can either help or hinder your progress. Suppliers will offer a selection of weapons and items that you can acquire to increase your chances of success, whereas other NPCs will alert Leaders and make your job more difficult. In addition to these NPCs, there are several other elements that will make the Freelancer campaigns unique. You’ll be able to find safes, hidden stashes and even other NPC Assassins…
Unlike the main Hitman campaign, your gear in Freelancer is not persistent. Anything you bring on a mission and don’t bring back to the safehouse, will be lost. (If you thought you were attached to your Silverballer before, wait until you’ve left it in Dartmoor and it’s gone. For good.) Looking for gear at a Supplier is one way to restock your inventory, or replace a lost treasure.
Consumables, such as explosives or poison syringes, will also need to be restocked, since there’s no supply from the ICA in Freelancer.
We’re excited about Freelancer giving players a persistent and infinitely replayable experience that is entirely their own; from customising their safehouse to match their style or mood, configuring and strategically planning for campaigns through to picking a playstyle with all of their gear on the line.
There are additional updates coming for HITMAN 3 including new maps, VR updates, Ray-Tracing, and more. You can watch the full season 2 presentation from IOI below!
