Hitman 3 – Year 2, a fresh year of DLC and content for the final game in the World of Assassination trilogy has now launched on all platforms. Patch 3.100 for the game is available – the patch notes are at to the bottom of this post – and the game releasing on Steam for the first time. The full trilogy has also come to Xbox Game Pass on both console and PC.
Elusive Target Arcade
The most significant free addition is Elusive Target Arcade, a new take on the single-shot Elusive Target game mode introduced in the 2016 game. Now you have not just one level to try, but a string of targets to try and take down in succession, each with different objectives and challenges.
Completing Elusive Target Arcade will bring exclusive rewards for the full game. Interestingly, this ditches the one-shot format. The series of missions in Elusive Target Arcade will be permanently available within Hitman 3, though you can only try each mission one time per day. More missions will be added over time.
Hitman Freelancer
Another new feature is Hitman Freelancer, coming in Spring 2022. This gives you a customisable house that will be your base of operations. You will be able to take on a string of missions across the full World of Assassination, letting you choose different threats to the world. You have to start off at the lowest rungs, taking out the lower echelons of a criminal organisation, building up to taking down the overall leader in a final mission – you’ll have to figure out who they are, as well! It’s all remixed ever time you play, changing depending on which missions you choose to take on early.
There will be more planning involved as you have to purchase gear from vendors that you will use up or lose if you fail.
VR and Ray Tracing for PC
PC players will also receive full VR support having been a PSVR exclusive since Hitman 3’s launch. There will also be ray tracing added for the PC, variable rate shading and Intel’s new XeSS upscaling technology.
Steam & Xbox Game Pass
Hitman 3 will arrive on Steam after a year of Epic Games Store exclusivity. For the release, IOI are bundling the entire trilogy together into one bundle for newcomers to purchase. That trilogy release will also be added to Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC today.
New levels teaser sneak peak…
Finally, IO Interactive teased a new location that will be coming later in 2022. Check it out…
Hitman 3 was one of the first major game releases of 2021. It wraps the stylish and inventive trilogy perfectly, having scored an 8 out of 10 in our review:
Charting the series’ progress since that 2016 Paris debut has been a fascinating journey. IO have learned a lot over the past five years and that really shows in Hitman 3. It’s a flashier, more fluid evolution of IO’s original template – a rewarding conclusion to one of the most unique video game franchises around, and one we’ll continue playing for many weeks and months to come.
Hitman 3 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, as well as streaming to Google Stadia and Nintendo Switch.
Here are the patch notes:
HITMAN 3 RESOLVED ISSUES (Year 2 Patch: 3.100)
PS5hhhhhhhh
We’ve resolved an issue where audio could abruptly cut out or become muted during gameplay. This issue was especially prominent on PlayStation 5.
Xbox Access
We’ve resolved an issue where some Xbox players could intermittently lose access to content. After an investigation, we’ve identified that players who owned a lot of different Hitman content on the same console were most likely to be affected.
Improved Stability
We’ve made back-end changes to ensure a smoother online experience and reduce the number of ‘disconnection’ issues encountered by players.
Epic Achievements
We’ve added support for Epic Achievements and Avatars. More details can be found on the Epic Games Blog.
Windows PC Support
In addition to Epic Games Store and Steam, HITMAN 3 and HITMAN Trilogy are now available on Windows PC (Microsoft). Players on this platform (including PC Game Pass players) will have access to their existing HITMAN 3 progression that was earned playing HITMAN 3 on any Xbox console. That progression will also be synchronised between Xbox consoles and the Windows PC (Microsoft) versions of the game. Also, any Contracts created on this PC platform will be shared with Xbox console players and vice versa. These features are possible because Xbox Live is the central service that brings the two platforms together.
Shoulder Swap Controller
We’ve implemented a permanent fix for the ‘Shoulder Swap’ option, so that it’s now available when playing in Offline Mode with a controller.
Target Down Dialogue
We’ve implemented richer NPC dialogue that triggers when certain NPCs discover a target or VIP has been pacified, eliminated, or otherwise hurt. They will refer to them by name in several ways, such as when reporting their knowledge to a guard.
Lens Flare Reduction
We’ve resolved a handful of issues that could result in an excessively strong lens flare when certain light sources met reflective surfaces.
2 Easy 2 Silent
We’ve tweaked the unlock conditions for the ‘Silent Assassin’ trophy so that it unlocks more consistently according to the requirements.
Challenge Display
We’ve fixed an issue that could cause the menu UI to incorrectly display the mission that a challenge could be completed on. Now, the game will be more accurate when displaying what mission is best suited to complete a given challenge.
Glass Smash
We’ve resolved an issue where several glass panes were missing SFX when being smashed.
HUD Flash
We’ve resolved an issue where some HUD icons and messages would repeatedly flash during gameplay, depending on specific player actions.
We Use This To Fix
We’ve resolved an issue where the Versatile Assassin challenge on ‘The Author’ (H1 Patient Zero campaign mission) did not unlock, despite completing all the requirements. To ensure that the challenges are completed and tracked accurately, we recommend players complete all objectives and end the mission.
Dubai: Deadly Elevator
We’ve resolved an issue where NPCs that were attacked and thrown down an elevator shaft in Dubai would be pacified rather than killed. Now, only death awaits.
Dartmoor: Outdoors, Indoors
We’ve resolved an issue where 47 could see through a specific wall from outside the mansion in Dartmoor.
Chongqing: You’re Dead to Me
We’ve made changes to several areas in the Chongqing, so that any NPCs that find themselves outside of the playable area are classified as ‘killed’ and the bodies are ‘hidden’.
Chongqing: Table, No Table
We’ve tweaked the properties of an ‘invisible table’ in the Gluttony Gobble Escalation. Basically, it’s gone.
Mendoza: No Soup For You
We’ve resolved an issue where Agent 47 would be unable to move without being spotted, when starting as the Asado Chef.
Mendoza: Overly Persistent Prompt
We’ve removed a ‘prompt’ icon from near one of the persistent shortcuts in Mendoza.
Mendoza: Rich Harvest
We’ve made the Rich Harvest trophy/achievement slightly easier to unlock by not requiring the completion of a ‘hidden’ mission story on Mendoza. This should remove confusion amongst players who appeared to have fulfilled the requirements but did not receive the trophy/achievement.
Mendoza: Diana Dialogue
We’ve resolved an issue that could cause Diana’s dialogue not to trigger at the start of the Mendoza campaign mission.
Bangkok: Unusual Identity
We’ve resolved several issues where NPC names and images did not match up with the actual NPC in Bangkok.
Credit Where It’s Due, 3.100
We’ve updated the in-game credits where needed to reflect work done since the last patch, including new members of the team that have joined.