Developer IO Interactive has announced that Hitman 3 is being rebranded and will include content from Hitman 1 and 2. On January 26, Hitman 3 will be renamed Hitman: World of Assassination, while content from the previous two games will be made available through the Access Pass system. The good news for current Hitman 3 owners is that this will be a free upgrade on all platforms and IO has added that it is “drastically simplifying the purchase experience” for new players by making World of Assassination the key entry point to the series.
This will allow all new players and existing Hitman 3 owners to have the “same base content ownership,” according to IO, as the studio is aiming to reduce confusion “over which edition to buy, what content you own, how to redeem Legacy packs or import locations.”
This new approach will result in two products being offered to players. The $70 Hitman: World of Assassination pack includes the original trilogy, and the Hitman: World of Assassination Deluxe Pack includes Hitman 3’s Seven Deadly Sins missions and Hitman 2’s Expansion Access Pass for $30. Current players can purchase any missing content from their Hitman library on PC via Steam, with IO explaining that it won’t be necessary to pay full price for a deluxe pack when it’s just a single piece of DLC that is needed. “For example, if you own 2 of the DLCs, you’ll only pay $10 for the remaining DLC, rather than having to pay full price for the full Deluxe Pack,” the studio explained.
Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 will be removed from all storefronts when the World of Assassination edition arrives, although those games will still be available for download if you own them. Since IO Interactive first gave its Hitman series a soft reboot in 2016, the studio has made small but consistent changes to the trilogy in order to create a unified experience. Improvements from sequels were passed down to previous games, new levels were added over time, and Freelancer mode will introduce a roguelike touch to the experience on January 26.
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