First Details On Next Hitman Announced: Open Levels, No Checkpoints

Now that IO Interactive has been confirmed as Square Enix’s sole “AAA” Hitman developer, the studio has publicly released the first details about the next entry to the popular franchise.

IO Interactive announced the news earlier today in an open letter to fans, stating that they are currently “building the next AAA Hitman game for PC and next-gen consoles.” While the developer did not list the specific systems that will receive a port of the upcoming title, we are speculating (based on recent third-party behavior) that the “next-gen” reference should not be taken as a sign that a Wii U version is in the works.

The letter goes on to note that the upcoming title will feature Agent 47 “at the prime of his career,” and at a point where he has the full support of “his long-term handler Diana Burnwood and the whole of the ICA.” In part, IO Interactive describes the goals for the Hitman title as follows:

“The game concentrates on the core Hitman fantasy of using a wide range of tools to take out a diverse group of targets across expansive, exotic locations around the world. We are building this game on the backbone of the Glacier 2 engine, using the best parts and what we have learnt through Hitman: Absolution and drawing inspiration from past titles like Contracts and Blood Money to fulfil the core Hitman fantasy. That means we’re packing in an extreme level of detail on the largest levels we have ever built for a Hitman game. We’ve adopted an open, non-linear level design approach to the game, ensuring the game will play out across huge, checkpoint-free, sandbox levels. Our aim is to create living, breathing and believable levels which will allow gamers to play around with the AI to create those unique moments every fan of the Hitman franchise loves.”

The studio also noted that they have “removed 47’s magic pockets” (which appears to suggest that players will need to contend with an inventory management systems) and they are planning to bring back the Contracts Mode from Hitman: Absolution.

IO Interactive promised to reveal more information about the unnamed Hitman title later this year, but it certainly sounds as if they are on the right track. We will keep an eye out for any additional details on the upcoming game and let you know as soon as anything is announced.