What's in the boooooox?

They say in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. And in a world as sinful as Hitman III's, Agent 47 is practically a saint.

From next week, Hitman III players will have the opportunity to purchase the first of seven incoming DLC packs, each of which will feature a unique storyline, target, suit, and weapon. The upcoming content drops will take plac??e over e?ach of the stealth titles' seasons, and, intriguingly, will all fall under the banner of The Seven Deadly Sins.

The first act "?Greed" will see 47 return to Dubai for new assignment "The Greed Enumeration" - while the plotline has not been revealed, Agent 47 will bag himself the Rapacious Suit, as well as two new items - the "Greedy Little Coin" and "The Devil's Cane." Developer IO Interactive suggests that the new mission will feature new gameplay mechanics that will "tempt your own personal greed." Curious.

Each act of the Seven Deadly Sins expansion will retail for around $5 USD, or dedicated HitPeople can buy into the whole expansion for a discounted $30. In addition to the Seven Deadly Sins content drops, Hitman III will continue to receive both paid and free content such as new Escalations, Elusive Targets, weapons, suits, and more - all of which will be tied i??n to the theme of the current sinful season.

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Brothers in Arms

IO Interactive has released the intro movie for the next entry in the stalwart Hitman franchise. Courtesy of IGN, the tense cine??matic sees 47 infiltrate Saudi Arabia, working alongside a fellow shadow-walker, problem-solver... problem-eliminator.

The duo is seen performing reconnaissance on on the controller of a mysterious organization known as "Providenc??e" with which our dynamic duo appear to have some sort of mysterious history. Frankly, it's interesting to see 47 working in the field alongside his fellow "asset," with the video introducing us to one of the few people to stand in 47's presence, and live to tell the tale. Dare we say... a fr??iend?

Hitman 3 will launch January 20 on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Stadia. A Ninte?ndo Switch port - utilizing cloud-streaming technology - is also in the works.

Hitman 3 official opening cinematic [IGN]

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Hello AGAIN, 47

IO Interactive has announced that the next entry in its stealth 'n' stabby series, Hitman 3, will launch on PC and consoles January 20. Not only that, but?? the developer has confirmed that players purchasing the latest exploits of Agent 47 on PS4/Xbox One will receive a free upgrade to the respective next-gen platform.

Customers who choose to pre-order Hitman 3 will also bag themselves some exclusive in-game goodies, namely the "Trinity" DLC pack, which features pure white, red, and black suits as featured in the reboot trilogy of this now 20-year-old franchise. Hitman 3, as previously noted, r??epresents the final chapter in Agent ??47's "World of Assassination" arc.

IO Interactive has also revealed the existence of the Hitman 3 Deluxe Edition. This set includes the Hitman 3 base game, along with extra missions and items, a digital soundtrack, a "World of Hitman" digital art book, and a "Director's Commentary Mission Introduction". Both the deluxe and standard editions of Hitman 3 are available to pre-order now.

Hitman 3 launches January 20, 2021 on PS4, PS5, ?Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Stadia, and PC via Epic Games Store.

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Whodunit?

You wouldn't send a wrecking ball to clean up a rainforest. You wouldn't put out a fire with a flamethrower. I'm not sure why you'd send a killer to solve a murder. Still, that's exactly what Agent 47 is going to do in Hitman 3.

The second Hitman 3 level is part Hitman and part Clue. There's been a murder at the Thornbridge Manor in Dartmoor, England. Among grieving friends and family, one of them has blood on their hands. Agent 47 is on the scene to go eye-for-eye because cloned ??killing machines really do not care if the whole world is blind.

Presumably, the Thornbridge Mystery tasks you with observing everyone on this English countryside estate, figuring out who committed the crime, and offing them. That's a nice twist on the classic Hitman formula of creatively isolating a predeterm?ined target and offing t??hem. The offing part doesn't really change. It's sorta what Agent 47 does best.

The first level, Dubai, was revealed at the same time Hitman 3 was announced. It's more aligned with standard Hitman fare -- a Mission Impossible-like infiltration foll??owed by some careful (or comically inept) sneaking about. Both settings look gr??eat in their own way.

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Epic the Professional

When it comes to Hitman, talks of contracts are usually confined to the contract killings? that Agent 47 is tasked with. This time, it's a contract that'll kill off any hopes of the game hitting Steam at launch.

Epic has secured Hitman 3&nbs?p;as the latest Epic Games Store timed exclusive on PC. It likely wasn't a tough decision for newly-independent IO Interactive. Epic guarantees that it'll cover the development costs of its store exclusives, all but eliminating IO's financial risk in the final installment of its well-regarded trilogy??.

PC users who haven't yet jumped into IO's free-form assassination simulator can check out the original for free next week. Hitman (2016) will be free on the Epic Games Store from August 27 through September 3. It was Game of the Year caliber four years ago (my, how time flies), so it's wel??l worth checking out.

As for Hitman 3, it's still set for January 2021. It's coming to current- and next-gen consoles, PC via th?e Epic Games Store, and Google Stadia. If you're the type who holds out for Steam versions, that'll probably arrive in January 2022.

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And multiplayer is being phased out of Hitman 2

As the "dramatic conclusion" to the current Hitman trilogy, you'd probably expect Hitman 3 to maintain most of the side modes from the last game, especially given IO Interactive's trajectory with this series. That said, there are a few removals and changes – some of which will affect Hitman 2 players.

In a blog post, IO Interactive outlined Hitman 3's modes:

• Campaign: "A globetrotting adventure to sprawling sandbox locations."
• Elusive Targets: "The stakes are high and the clock is ticking" but the developers are "making some changes to the Elusive Target formula that we'll reveal at a later date."
• Escalations: "Expect your gameplay skills to be pushed to the max as new elements are thrown at you in each stage of the contract."
• Contracts Mode: "Choose your own targets, choose how to eliminate them, and then make it all happen."
• Sniper Assassin: "Can be played in existing maps as a single-player experience only."

Ghost Mode, Hitman 2's one-on-one competitive multiplayer mode, won't be back for Hitman 3. Going a step further, IO is shutting down the Ghost Mode servers for Hitman 2 on August 31, 2020, and "t??aking all of those learnings onboard for what we do in the future with regards to multiplayer."

If you're stressed about unlocking the Phantom Suit, heads up: it'll be "added as an unlock in Hitman 3."

Similarly, IO Interactive is planning to sunset the co-op servers for Sniper Assassin in Hitman 2 "before the [January 2021] launch of Hitman 3." The t?eam says i??t'll "share an exact timeline and a solution to the mode's multiplayer trophies in the coming months," so there's some silver lining at least. A smidgen.

As for PC VR, "what I can tell you today is that Hitman 3 will include PS VR support at launch." Uh huh.

HITMAN 3 - Game Modes [IO Interactive]

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IO shared new footage of Hitman 3's extensive VR mode

It's starting to dawn on me just how cool Hitman could and should be in VR – to the point where I think it will be tough to go back to the flat format once we're used to the freedom of Hitman 3's VR mode.

This developer insights video from IO? Interactive does a better job of illustrating that point than the eyebrow-raising trailer shown at a recent State of Play presentation. Blind-firing around corners, crawling in dense grass, peeking through a closet, tapping a dude on the? shoulder with a crowbar – I'm so in. Even if Agent 47's stealthy playgrounds are the same, they're bound to feel fresh up close.

"Every little thing wants to take center stage [in virtual reality]," said senior game designer Eskil Mohl. "Whereas before, in the third-person game, maybe you got a little distracted from something else. But now you can't escape them anymore. They are right in your face. I found m?yself traversing the level slower, just taking everything in because it's so dense with detail." Reminder: there are? 20+ locations.

The PlayStation VR support alone is making me want to get Hitman 3 at launch in January 2021. I hope this stuff also comes to PC VR sooner than later. It's going to be huge if it?'s half as good as it sounds.

I'm still bummed that Resident Evil 7'?s VR mode remains a PlayStation exclusive. What a thrill ride.

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Including the 'entire' trilogy

How do you feel about getting up close and personal in Hitman?

As announced on the State of Play stream, next year's Hitman 3 will have a first-person VR mode at launch. In fact, you'll be able to "play the entire world of assassination trilogy in VR." Wait, what?

IO Interactive reminded us that players – VR or otherwise – can import locations from Hitman and Hitman 2 into Hitman 3, "essentially putting all 20+ locations from the entire trilogy in one place?."

"We're working to finalize the specifics for how PSVR owners can enjoy Hitman in VR, and we'll have more details to share in the months ahead," the studio said in a PlayStation Blog post.

I'm a little worried about this mode on a technical level – PSVR is showing its age – but I love the idea. A frying pan can be used to deflect bullets, Superhot style, and that's just music to my ears.

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January of next year

YES! Hitman III is coming, and we can finally start a new adventure instead of living vicariously through the shadow of Hitman II. IO Interactive calls this the "end of the World Assassination trilogy," and gave us a glimpse of the Dubai stage, which will provide all sorts of Hitman antics, I'm sure.

As confirmed on the official PlayStation Blog, progress from Hitman II will carry over in some fashion: likely a form of playing old missions within the Hitman III shell. More news will be arriving "in the coming months," and the game will have a "much darker tone" compared to recen??t iterations. Atmosphere is a huge selling point for the IO Interactive team, which promises a "very r??eal sense of closure."

Hitman III is due in J??anuary 2021, and it will not be leaving the "pre??vious" generation behind. It'll launch on both PS4/PS5, as well as Xbox One/Series X and PC! So pretty much everything but Switch.

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