IO Interactive has revealed some of its plans for Hitman 3 Year 2. They include a Steam release for the game, ray tracing functionality, and two new game modes. There's also a new map in the works that will be revealed in full later down the line.
What's coming in Hitman 3 Year 2?
After Hitman 3 proved a huge success for IO Interactive last year, the Danish studio today shared plans for its upcoming second year of content for the game. First up, you're getting a new Elusive Target Arcade mode. This is a spin on the classic Elusive Target feature in which you'll be asked to take down consecutive targets. Contracts will have additional modifiers applied, and you won't be able to try a contract again for 12 hours if you fail. When the feature launches, you'll be able to take on three Arcade Contracts, each featuring targets from the three Hitman games. These targets are permanent, so they won't be removed.
As well as the Elusive Target Arcade mode, there's also a new Freelancer mode launching later this year. It'll see the return of 47's safe house and will pit you against a series of campaigns which you can take on in any order. You'll need to get gear from Suppliers, and if you lose it on a mission, it's gone, so you'll have to buy it again. IO says it'll share more details about Freelancer closer to its release, so stay tuned for more info about that.
Is there a Hitman 3 Steam release date yet?
Yep. IO Interactive also shared when you can expect a Hitman 3 Steam release. Hitman 3 Year 2 begins on January 20th, and that's also when the game is coming to Steam. On that same day, the full Hitman trilogy will also be available on Xbox Game Pass, and IO will be launching a VR version of the trilogy for PC as well. Finally, you can know what it's like to murder someone with the Scrap Sword, or to spectacularly mess up a mission and flee from the entire level bearing down on you. No? Just us?
There's more, of course. Hitman 3 is getting ray tracing support and a host of other technical improvements. They'll be along later this year. IO also teased a rather treacherous-looking new map called Codename: Rocky. All we've seen of it so far is a rickety-looking bridge spanning a precipitous drop flanked by palm trees. IO says it'll share more about this later in the year, so we'll have to wait and see who 47 has to kill in this location. That bridge is almost certainly the least crazy of the kills in the Codename: Rocky map.
You can grab Hitman 3 right now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox (and we strongly recommend you do so). It's the final game in the so-called "World of Assassination Trilogy" and sees 47 hunting down the mysterious Partners, the group at the heart of shadowy organization Providence. Don't worry if you haven't been following the overarching story; you can also dress up as an Agatha Christie-style detective or kill someone dressed as a giant blue flamingo. Such is the way of Hitman.
Are you excited to check out the new Hitman 3 Year 2 content? Let us know in the comments below!
