During a pre-E3 livestream, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and IO Interactive announced Hitman 2.
The announcement was teased earlier this week, and then almost inevitably leaked by Warner Bros. itself, because no one can keep it in their pants nowadays.
The game is a direct sequel of the first Hitman, but this time it won’t be episodic, with the whole story being available at launch. That being said, IO Interactive will still provide “tons and tons of post-launch content.”
This marks the return of the franchise after the abandonment from Square Enix, and the developer promised “intricate sandbox levels” for players to enjoy in the new game. There will be different infiltration paths and many ways to eliminate your target.
The accompanying press release included a comment from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment President David Haddad, who talked about the new partnership with IO Interactive.
“We are thrilled to partner with IO Interactive on HITMAN 2 and bring the latest game in this iconic franchise to the passionate HITMAN fanbase and new players. IO Interactive has done a fantastic job with the Hitman franchise, and this new game will provide a distinct gameplay experience for players to be creative in larger sandbox locations.”
On the IO Interactive side, CEO Hakan Abrak promised a richer game than ever before.
“We are very proud to announce HITMAN 2 as the next exciting chapter in our ever-expanding world of assassination. Building on the success of our previous game, HITMAN 2 introduces exciting new features, new modes, and franchise firsts to make for a larger and richer game. We couldn’t have wished for a better partner than Warner Bros. to bring this game to our passionate community and introduce new players to our universe. Welcome back 47!”
The game will include several international locations, including Miami, which is the settings for today’s reveal. Traditional protagonist Agent 47 will also learn more about his past, which means that we can probably expect a deeper storyline.
Quite interesting is also the Sniper Assassin mode, which brings online co-op to the game with two new operatives (but can also be played solo). Interestingly, it’s available today in early access for those who pre-order Hitman 2.
The game will also get a Silver Edition, a Gold Edition, and a Collector’s Edition.
The Silver Edition includes the Executive Pack (Blackballer Pistol and Italian Black Leather Briefcase) and the first expansion that will include a new location, new missions, a new sniper map, new outfits, and weapons. The Gold Edition comes with two days of early access for the game and the second expansion on top of the first. The physical Collector’s Edition will come in a gun case replica and will include a SteelCase, a bullet keyring, a rubber duck, and a signature coin. Digital bonuses will be a Concussive Rubber Duck and a Midnight Black Suit.
The game will launch on November 13th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and you can check out the reveal trailer below, alongside the full reveal livestream (which also shows more footage from the game), and the trailer of the Sniper Assassin mode.
