IO Interactive is unloading a good chunk of information this week in regards to their upcoming title Hitman 3. They already informed us about which game modes will be ready to go when we get our hands on the game, but now they’ve revealed brand new location for Agent 47 to prey upon his targets, the Thornbridge Manor in Dartmoor England. However, that wasn’t the only thing that was observed in this blog post, as the company stated at the very end that the PC version of Hitman 3 will be a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store. Needless to say, not everyone is happy about this.
IO Interactive is more than likely aware that this decision will probably alienate the some in the fanbase, especially those who have sworn off the Epic Games Store. To this end, the studio announced that players from the previous titles, Hitman and Hitman 2, will, in fact, be able to carry over their save data to Hitman 3, despite being on a completely different launcher. In the blog post, IO Interactive states: “We are pleased to confirm that PC players will be able to carry over their current progression and unlocks from HITMAN 2 on Steam into HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store. It will also be possible for PC players to import locations from the previous two games into HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store. We want to make it a seamless process for our PC players to enjoy HITMAN 3 on a different PC platform and continue to enjoy the benefits of our World of Assassination.”
While it is wonderful to see the company go above and beyond for their PC players with this endeavor, it doesn’t change the fact that those players will now have to venture into the Epic Games Store in order to play Hitman 3 when it launches in January of next year. Otherwise, they’ll be waiting all the way until January 2022 to get it off of other PC platforms such as Steam and GOG. However, if Epic Games and IO Interactive can work out a special arrangement, then it’s possible that the game will be given the same kind of deal that Total War Saga: Troy received which was a massive success for Creative Assembly. Of course, this is all wishful thinking and merely conjecture, but since they’ve done it already, it would make sense that they would try it again at some point.
As for the new location in Dartmoor, it’s centered around a mysterious incident that Agent 47 will need to piece together and figure out. Normally these types of suspenseful stories involve solving a murder case, but in this situation, and as the main assassin, you’ll be doing that part yourself. Agent 47 even dresses up like a detective to boot. Obviously you’ll have your main objective on the map, but you’ll also have the chance to do other side-objectives as well, giving you the ability to fully explore this huge estate to your heart’s desire.
IO Interactive lastly talked about pre-order which are going be available later this month. Despite being the sole developers for the entirety of the Hitman franchise, this will be the very first time that the company will both be the developer and the publisher, showing just how much the company has grown since then. Prior to that, IO Interactive was a subsidiary of Eidos Interactive, which was bought out by SCi Games and then later purchased by Square Enix. IO Interactive and Square Enix famously split in 2017, leaving the franchise in question. Thankfully, the studio was able to work out a deal with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and enabled them to continue work on the series.
Hitman 3 will officially launch in January 2021 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC through the Epic Games Store and Google’s Stadia.