Earlier this month, IO Interactive promised they’d soon update fans on the future of Hitman, and today they delivered in a big way. IO didn’t reveal Hitman Season 2, as some expected they would, but they did announce a packed Game of the Year Edition, new campaign, major patch, and more. You can check out all the new goodies in the trailer, below.
Here’s everything included in the Hitman Game of the Year Edition:
Hitman The Complete First SeasonNew – “Patient Zero” CampaignNew - Clown Suit and themed weaponNew - Raven Suit and themed weaponNew - Cowboy Suit and themed weaponNew - 3 themed Escalation ContractsSo, what’s that new campaign all about? In Patient Zero, you’ll revisit all four locations from Hitman Season 1, which have now been transformed by a global pandemic:
Patient Zero Campaign
After the routine elimination of a target, a contingency plan to unleash a global pandemic is triggered and Agent 47 must race against the clock to prevent a virus from spreading. This four-mission campaign spans different locations in the game, each one re-worked from the original settings with new gameplay opportunities, disguises, characters, challenges, gameplay mechanics, AI behavior and HUD elements. Bangkok, Sapienza, Colorado and Hokkaido look and feel completely different with a new time of day and new custom music created by the composer for Season One, Niels Bye Nielsen.
Finally, here’s everything included in the big Hitman patch, which arrives on November 7 alongside the Xbox One X. Presumably, gameplay changes like the improved UI and Contracts Mode features will be available on all platforms.
Xbox One X Enhancements: A whole host of enhancements are on the way for Xbox One X owners, including options for native 4K and a higher framerate. Specific details to come in an Xbox-specific blog post.Tobii Eye Tracking support for PC: Enhance your killer instincts with Dynamic Light Adaptation, Extended View and a new special feature added specifically for HITMAN. Find more details here.A redesigned UI with a new color scheme and visual style: A fresh new look across the board and re-organized menus to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.New Contracts Mode features: ‘Trending’ helps you find the most popular contracts, making sure you can easily find a new challenge. We’re also adding 10 ‘Conditions’ that will add huge depth to Contracts Mode, such as restricting disguise changes or requiring players to use a specific exit. Anyone who creates a contract will be able to toggle these conditions to set a more defined challenge for their contract.Major lighting improvements to all missions: New color grading, readjusted HDR adaptation rules and re-designed skyboxes mean that our locations look more vivid, vibrant and lifelike.Commemorative Elusive Target Unlock: If you played any of the Elusive Targets we released during Season One, we’re giving you an in-game coin to commemorate your progress and thank you for your support.Various fixes and improvements: Full release notes will be published closer to 7 November. That should be enough time to start thinking about your default loadout for each location.Earlier this year, Square Enix sent shockwaves through the industry by announcing plans to offload developer IO Interactive and the Hitman franchise. Ultimately, a buyer wasn’t found, with IO instead retaining rights to the Hitman series as an independent developer. Understandably, there were concerns about Hitman’s future, but with this new round of announcements, it seems the series is on solid ground.
Hitman Game of the Year Edition will be available for $60, or as a $20 “GOTY Upgrade” if you already own Season 1. Hitman GOTY Edition sneaks onto PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on November 7.