Hitman 3 gets free content in new update

The stealth-focused assassination game has had the content for two entire games added to it, alongside a name change and new buying options.

IO Interactive’s stealth-focused assassination game Hitman 3 will be getting a massive upgrade later this month, adding a host of free content and changing the game’s name.

The change was announced in a blog post on developer IO Interactive’s website, where the company announced that Hitman 3 would soon be changing its name to Hitman World of Assassination.

The change in name is more than just cosmetic, however, as it will add all of the content from Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 into the game for free. The content was previously accessible to those who owned those previous games, or those who purchased DLC passes to the content.

IO says that the move will “drastically simplify the purchase experience for new players”, adding that new players and existing players of the game will all have access to the same content. Existing owners of Hitman 3 will get a free upgrade to World of Assassination when the upgrade comes into effect on January 26.

Instead of having multiple different games and DLC packs available to purchase, instead players will simply be able to buy Hitman World of Assassination, which includes all Hitman 1, 2, and 3 base game content, and the World of Assassination Deluxe Pack, which includes all three of the DLC packs from Hitman 3.

Hitman 3 is a stealth game that has players going after specific targets in a large, populated map. Picture: IO Interactive

IO also says that, on Steam, the game will offer “complete the set” functionality, which means that players who own some, but not all, of the DLC for Hitman 3 will have to pay less for the Deluxe Pack. Similar functionality will exist on other platforms, but will be performed through an in-game transaction rather than on the platforms’ storefronts.

The Hitman series has had two separate iterations throughout its life on the market. The original series, which spanned from 2000 to 2012, was generally well-received, although later entries had much more of a mixed reaction.

The series was rebooted in 2016 with the release of Hitman, which will now be included in the World of Assassination content. The rebooted series has seen widespread acclaim for its action stealth gameplay, with Hitman 3 in particular praised for its level design and creativity.

Hitman 3 already contains content from the first two games, but only if players pay extra. Picture: IO Interactive

In other gaming news, Square Enix announced this week that big Final Fantasy news is coming in 2023. Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase teased a “big announcement unrelated to Final Fantasy 7” in a New Year message to fans.

Square Enix also doubled down on NFT games in a similar New Year message, where the company’s president pledged to continue supporting the controversial technology.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.