It’s hard to believe that the Hitman series is now 20 years old. The stealth action franchise spawned a dozen games, two movies, and even a successful mobile spinoff. Despite all that, the series has only taken off in recent years thanks to a 2016 reboot. After four years of momentum, the series’ next installment is poised to be its biggest yet and cement Hitman’s legacy. Here’s everything we know about Hitman 3.
Rounding out the trilogy
Hitman 3 is the last game in the World of Assassination trilogy, which started with 2016’s Hitman reboot. It’s a sandbox stealth action game where players head to a variety of open-ended locations and take on assassination missions.
Players once again take on the role of Agent 47, a ruthless killer who travels the world carrying out hits. This time, he teams up with long-lost friend Lucas Grey and Agency handler Diana Burnwood on a mission to kill the leaders of the secret organization Providence.
According to game director Mattias Engström, Hitman 3 will be much darker than previous games. He notes that the game will bring closure to the trilogy while adding some “surprise elements” to the formula.
When and where?
Hitman 3 is coming to current and next-gen consoles on January 20. Players can grab it on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia. Those looking to get a PC copy will need to do so on the Epic Games Store, where it will be exclusive for one year.
Players who buy the game on current consoles will receive a free next-gen upgrade. The game supports Xbox Series X’s smart delivery feature, while PlayStation 5 owners can upgrade from the PlayStation 5 store.
Dedicated fans can order a deluxe edition of the game, which includes a digital soundtrack, artbook, and director’s commentary. Those who pre-order will receive the Trinity Pack featuring nine items from all three games in the World of Assassination trilogy.
Location, location, location
The game features six “meticulously detailed” locations, according to Io Interactive. The game uses Io’s proprietary Glacier engine, which the studio says brings more choice and replay value to each level.
The game’s first revealed location is Dubai, with a trailer showing off a gigantic, luxurious skyscraper based on the real-world Burj Khalifa. Agent 47 is shown scaling the outside of the tower before breaking into a window and infiltrating a party.
A second location takes players to Dartmoor, England, and it promises to be very different. The core mission is a traditional whodunit mystery where players disguise as a detective and solve a family murder at a fancy manor. It’s basically the plot of Knives Out with Agent 47 in the Daniel Craig role.
Unlike previous Hitman games, the sequel will not take an episodic approach to locations. Players will be able to play all six when it launches.
Continued progression
Io Interactive is committed to keeping the World of Assassination trilogy a unified experience contained within Hitman 3. Players can carry over all unlocks and character progression from precious games into the new sequel, which wasn’t possible in Hitman 2.
Locations from the first two games in the trilogy (including DLC) can be imported into Hitman 3, meaning that over 20 levels will be available in total.
Despite the game being PC exclusive to Epic Games Store for a year, players can import their data from Hitman 2 on steam into Hitman 3 on Epic Games Store.
Assassinations in VR
In a first for the series, Hitman 3 will feature VR support. The VR mode switches the third-person game to a first-person perspective. A developer diary shows Agent 47 shooting around a corner and ducking in tall grass to avoid an enemy’s sight.
The game will only work on PSVR at launch, with no PC headset support announced yet. Io Interactive says the game does not support PlayStation’s Move controllers and is designed specifically for standard PlayStation controllers. The game does utilize the DualShock 4’s gyroscope for motion-controlled gameplay.
In addition to the six new locations, fans can play all imported levels from Hitman and Hitman 2 in VR.
System requirements
For fans looking to play Hitman 3 on PC, here are the system requirements per the Epic Games Store.
Minimum requirements:
- Windows OS: OS 64-bit Windows 10
- Windows processor: Intel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz / AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940
- Windows memory: 8 GB RAM
- Windows storage: 80 GB
- Windows Direct X 12
- Windows graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 / Radeon HD 7870
Recommended requirements:
- Windows OS: OS 64-bit Windows 10
- Windows processor: Intel CPU Core i7 4790 4 GHz
- Windows memory: 16 GB RAM
- Windows storage: 80 GB
- Windows Direct X 12
- Windows graphics: Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD GPU Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB
