The third-person stealth assassination franchise Hitman is coming back in 2021 with the release of Hitman 3. Building off the success of its newfound independence and the release of Hitman 2 in 2018, IO Interactive has lofty aspirations for its upcoming sequel. This time, IO Interactive will be publishing the game all by itself, and Hitman 3 will hopefully be the better of it. To that effect, IO Interactive now feels confident hammering down its release date as January 20, 2021.
The release date was shared as IO Interactive opened up pre-orders for Hitman 3 on Thursday morning. Previously, a release window of January 2020 had been announced, so IO Interactive must be feeling confident about its development targets. The January 20 release date is confirmed for all planned Hitman 3 platforms, including current-gen and next-gen. The list of supported platforms for Hitman 3 is PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Pre-orders for Hitman 3 are officially open and as part of that IO Interactive revealed the different editions that will be available for the game. IO Interactive is being kind to its audience, unlike some publishers recently, so it's a very simple setup. There are two different Hitman 3 editions, the Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition includes the Hitman 3 base game and costs $59.99, while the Deluxe Edition includes the base game and a Deluxe Pack for $79.99.
The Deluxe Pack included with the Hitman 3 Deluxe Edition features a variety of digital content. Things like digital soundtracks for Hitman 3 and the previous two Hitman games, mission introductions from Hitman 3's director, and a digital art book called The World of Hitman. As for in-game content, there will be an assortment of cosmetics unlocked for Deluxe Edition players. But most importantly, Deluxe Escalations will return with several available at launch and others to be rolled out over time.
Hitman 3 also features a pre-order bonus named the Trinity Pack. The Trinity Pack includes 9 total DLC items from 3 different sets. They're each a colored suit, with white taken from Hitman 1, red from Hitman 2, and black for Hitman 3. Players will be able to mix and match these suits as they please. The pre-order bonus is for all players, regardless of which retailer they pre-order from or what platform they pre-order for.
One final detail that IO Interactive confirmed today is that Hitman 3 will provide a next-gen upgrade entirely for free, with one limitation. On PlayStation, Hitman 3 players will need to own the digital version of Hitman 3 to receive the PS5 upgrade. Xbox users will be able to upgrade via Smart Delivery for both Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Stay tuned for more information in the months ahead.
Hitman 3 releases January 20 on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.