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A new Hitman game is coming, and it’s not Hitman 4

hitman 3

Fans eagerly awaiting Hitman 4 might be disappointed to find out the next Hitman game won’t be a sequel and that they probably won’t be able to play it. Instead, the next Hitman game is Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded.

The last Hitman game, Hitman 3, exceeded expectations and netted IO Interactive record profits. In the usual Hitman fashion, the game offered large, open sandbox levels where players could assassinate targets. With plenty of replayability, solid gameplay, and plenty of content, Hitman 3 stands as one of the best games in the franchise. 

Hitman games are slow-burning, letting players discover creative ways to take targets down. Exploration and patience are the keys to a successful assassination in the game.

The slower-paced gameplay could lend itself well to VR, but Hitman 3 VR was unsuccessful. It seems IO Interactive is adamant about making Agent 47 a virtual reality assassin, resulting in another attempt at a VR game. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether Hitman 4 is in the cards.

Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded release date 

Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded will be released in Summer 2024 for $29.99.

IO Interactive is not making the new Hitman game; XR Games is taking the lead. The Leeds, UK-based VR studio has previously worked on Jurassic World Aftermath, ForeVR Pool, and Zombieland: Headshot Fever. The game intends to offer improved movement options, making navigating the levels better and more intuitive.

The gameplay trailer also shows dual-wielding, a feature missing from previous Hitman games. Using two weapons, especially the iconic pistols, will translate well to VR. Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded is also overhauling the user interface entirely for VR. As the game is strictly for VR, fans of stealth games can look forward to the Splinter Cell remake for their stealth fix. Fans waiting for Hitman 4 will likely have to wait a long while.

Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded is a Meta Quest 3-exclusive title 

Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded is coming exclusively to Meta Quest 3 VR headset. Even if fans were hoping to get the game, it’s exclusive to Facebook’s favorite hardware.

The game will use cel-shaded graphics to run smoothly on Meta Quest 3. Unfortunately, players won’t be able to play it on PSVR 2 on the PlayStation 5.

The released announcement trailer mainly uses live-action footage with a couple of frames of gameplay at the end. The first-person view shows Agent 47 aiming at two enemies with dual pistols. 

Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded uses Meta Quest 3 as its central platform. The hardware cannot run the original Hitman 3 untethered. The developers promise interactive environments that react to every action. No official release date has been announced yet. Hitman developer IO Interactive is officially working on a licensed James Bond game featuring an original story. 

Are they making Hitman 4?

There is no indication that Hitman 4 is in development and its developers are juggling multiple projects.

In 2021 when IO Interactive announced the founding of a new Barcelona studio, it was indicated that the support studio would help the company on two projects. The first was Project 007, an in-development game built starring James Bond. The other was an unannounced Hitman game.

In 2023, the studio announced Project Fantasy. This is a new IP in a fantasy setting, a major departure from IO Interactive’s standard spy thrillers. This makes it unclear whether the studio has the bandwidth for Hitman 4, or whether that will change any time soon.

Written by Bilawal Bashir

Bilawal is a software engineer who loves video games, comic books, and anime. But he will never love pineapple on pizza. In over two decades of gaming, he has only broken two controllers. His work has also been featured by TheGamer and WhatIfGaming.

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