What just happened? IO Interactive has confirmed that Hitman III will launch early next year. It was announced on June 11 during the PlayStation 5 reveal event but won't be exclusive to Sony's console. Instead, it should be widely available across multiple platforms when it drops in early 2021.
Hitman III is the eighth installment in the popular Hitman series and the third and final episode in the World of Assassination trilogy (the first arrived in 2016. In it, Agent 47 returns to take players around the world on a "globetrotting adventure to sprawling sandbox locations" as they carry out the most important contracts of the character's career.
Supported by his Agency handler, Diana Burnwood, 47 joins forces with his long-lost friend Lucas Grey. Their ultimate mission is to eliminate the partners of Providence, but they are forced to adapt as their hunt intensifies. When the dust settles, 47 and the world he inhabits will never be the same again.
IO Interactive said each mission location is meticulously detailed and loaded with creative opportunities. Thanks to its proprietary Glacier game engine, the environment is able to react to everything players do for an unparalleled level of choice and replayability.
Interestingly enough, the developer said players of earlier Hitman games will be able to "import" locations from the previous two games into Hitman III, "essentially putting all 20+ locations from the entire trilogy in one place."
Additional details about location and progression carryover will be shared in the coming months, we're told.
Look for Hitman III to infiltrate the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Windows PCs sometime next January.