<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2021	O
stealth	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
eighth	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
video	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
2018	O
's	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
third	O
and	O
final	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
World	O
of	O
Assassination	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concluding	O
the	O
story	O
arc	O
started	O
in	O
2016	O
's	O
Hitman	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
follows	O
genetically-engineered	O
assassin	O
Agent	O
47	O
and	O
his	O
allies	O
as	O
they	O
hunt	O
down	O
the	O
leaders	O
of	O
the	O
secretive	O
organization	O
Providence	O
,	O
which	O
controls	O
global	O
affairs	O
and	O
was	O
partially	O
responsible	O
for	O
47	O
's	O
creation	O
and	O
upbringing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
self-published	O
by	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
after	O
becoming	O
an	O
independent	O
studio	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
,	O
Stadia	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
(	O
via	O
cloud	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
)	O
on	O
20	O
January	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
also	O
the	O
most	O
commercially	O
successful	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
extensively	O
supported	O
by	O
IO	O
with	O
several	O
releases	O
of	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
and	O
free	O
updates	O
that	O
added	O
new	O
features	O
,	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2023	O
,	O
IO	O
rebranded	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
as	O
Hitman	B-Application
:	I-Application
World	I-Application
of	I-Application
Assassination	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
previously	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
Stadia	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
rebranding	O
included	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
Hitman	B-Application
games	O
becoming	O
available	O
to	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
owners	O
,	O
free	O
of	O
charge	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
mode	O
called	O
"	O
Freelancer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
stealth	O
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
and	O
players	O
once	O
again	O
assume	O
control	O
of	O
assassin	O
Agent	O
47	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Owners	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
or	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
are	O
able	O
to	O
import	O
maps	O
,	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
progress	O
into	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
locations	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
include	O
persistent	O
shortcuts	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
gameplay	O
feature	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
added	O
a	O
new	O
camera	O
item	O
available	O
by	O
default	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
take	O
photos	O
and	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
gameplay	O
purposes	O
such	O
as	O
opening	O
doors	O
on	O
certain	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
compatibility	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
via	O
backwards	O
compatibility	O
,	O
Support	O
for	O
VR	O
on	O
PC	O
was	O
added	O
on	O
20	O
January	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
there	O
are	O
no	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
,	O
with	O
Sniper	O
Assassin	O
being	O
solely	O
single-player	O
,	O
and	O
Ghost	O
Mode	O
being	O
removed	O
entirely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
features	O
Contracts	O
Mode	O
,	O
where	O
a	O
player	O
can	O
select	O
up	O
to	O
five	O
targets	O
across	O
all	O
the	O
maps	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
add	O
rules	O
and	O
complications	O
like	O
specific	O
kill	O
methods	O
and	O
share	O
their	O
contracts	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
also	O
features	O
'	O
Elusive	O
Targets	O
 '	O
which	O
are	O
time-limited	O
missions	O
that	O
can	O
only	O
be	O
attempted	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Agent	O
47	O
and	O
his	O
handler	O
,	O
Diana	B-Application
Burnwood	I-Application
,	O
defected	O
from	O
the	O
International	O
Contract	O
Agency	O
(	O
ICA	O
)	O
and	O
joined	O
forces	O
with	O
rogue	O
mercenary	O
Lucas	O
Grey	O
to	O
destroy	O
Providence	O
,	O
a	O
secretive	O
alliance	O
of	O
corporate	O
executives	O
,	O
politicians	O
and	O
industrialists	O
collectively	O
wielding	O
political	O
,	O
military	O
,	O
and	O
economic	O
influence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
's	O
the	O
dawn	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
you	O
have	O
things	O
to	O
do	O
"	O
—	O
akin	O
to	O
the	O
opening	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
:	I-Application
Codename	I-Application
47	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
11	O
June	O
2020	O
at	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
reveal	O
event	O
with	O
the	O
tagline	O
'	O
Death	O
Awaits	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
confirmed	O
that	O
fully	O
animated	O
cutscenes	O
like	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Hitman	B-Application
would	O
be	O
returning	O
after	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
used	O
still	O
images	O
for	O
its	O
cutscenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Stadia	B-Application
version	O
titled	O
Hitman	B-Application
:	I-Application
World	I-Application
of	I-Application
Assassination	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
on	O
14	O
July	O
2020	O
,	O
which	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
hub	O
to	O
play	O
Hitman	B-Application
and	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
on	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
was	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
Stadia	B-Application
's	O
'	O
State	O
Share	O
 '	O
feature	O
which	O
lets	O
players	O
share	O
'	O
game	O
states	O
 '	O
allowing	O
others	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
same	O
contract	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
items	O
and	O
starting	O
location	O
as	O
them	O
even	O
if	O
they	O
have	O
not	O
unlocked	O
them	O
yet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
28	O
October	O
2020	O
during	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
to	O
be	O
coming	O
to	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
via	O
cloud	B-Application
streaming	I-Application
technology	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
VR	O
mode	O
releasing	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
was	O
announced	O
during	O
a	O
PlayStation	O
State	O
of	O
Play	O
live	O
stream	O
on	O
6	O
August	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
location	O
,	O
Dartmoor	O
,	O
was	O
revealed	O
on	O
26	O
August	O
2020	O
with	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
also	O
confirming	O
they	O
had	O
signed	O
a	O
12-month	O
exclusivity	O
period	O
for	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
with	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
,	O
explaining	O
"	O
as	O
an	O
independent	O
studio	O
,	O
our	O
partnership	O
with	O
Epic	O
has	O
given	O
us	O
the	O
freedom	O
to	O
create	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
exactly	O
as	O
we	O
imagined	O
and	O
self-publish	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
our	O
players	O
directly	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
Interactive	O
confirmed	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
support	O
4K	O
resolutions	O
at	O
60	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
on	O
consoles	O
like	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Engström	O
describes	O
how	O
the	B-Application
keywords	I-Application
and	O
mission	O
name	O
refer	O
not	O
only	O
to	O
the	O
setting	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
to	O
how	O
"	O
they	O
have	O
momentum	O
in	O
a	O
story	O
where	O
everything	O
is	O
going	O
fine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mansion	O
setting	O
was	O
decided	O
quite	O
early	O
on	O
in	O
development	O
and	O
features	O
a	O
gothic	O
design	O
inspired	O
by	O
detective	O
fiction	O
such	O
as	O
Agatha	B-Application
Christie	I-Application
novels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
Screen	O
Rant	O
Engström	O
describes	O
how	O
the	O
idea	O
stuck	O
"	O
because	O
it	O
's	O
not	O
really	O
core	O
Hitman	B-Application
in	O
a	O
way	O
,	O
but	O
role	O
playing	O
and	O
taking	O
a	O
disguise	O
and	O
living	O
out	O
the	O
fantasy	O
,	O
that	O
's	O
a	O
core	O
Hitman	B-Application
idea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
for	O
the	O
idea	O
to	O
work	O
the	O
detective	O
disguise	O
needed	O
to	O
have	O
free	O
access	O
to	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
level	O
which	O
contrasts	O
with	O
most	O
Hitman	B-Application
levels	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
to	O
avoid	O
being	O
detected	O
,	O
with	O
Engström	O
saying	O
to	O
Game	O
Informer	O
"	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
think	O
a	O
Hitman	B-Application
game	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
hard	O
or	O
a	O
level	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
hard	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
be	O
fun	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Berlin	O
mission	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
key	O
words	O
"	O
loneliness	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
isolation	O
"	O
and	O
features	O
a	O
cold	O
opening	O
and	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
guided	O
missions	O
stories	O
found	O
in	O
other	O
Hitman	B-Application
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Berlin	O
started	O
out	O
as	O
a	O
typical	O
Hitman	B-Application
level	O
with	O
a	O
primary	O
target	O
,	O
Agent	O
Montgomery	O
(	O
the	O
only	O
agent	O
with	O
a	O
bodyguard	O
in	O
the	O
level	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
agents	O
as	O
optional	O
targets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
using	O
tracks	O
from	O
other	O
sources	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
composer	O
Niels	O
Bye	O
Nielsen	O
wrote	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
additional	O
music	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
rave	O
music	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
location	O
showcases	O
the	O
improved	O
lighting	O
and	O
reflections	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
due	O
to	O
the	O
neon	O
lighting	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
heavy	O
rain	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
match	O
the	O
tone	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
during	O
the	O
mission	O
with	O
Engström	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
you	O
're	O
basically	O
killing	O
who	O
you	O
have	O
been	O
for	O
the	O
past	O
20	O
years	O
as	O
a	O
hitman	B-Application
"	O
in	O
Chongqing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Mendoza	O
location	O
was	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
's	O
first	O
attempt	O
to	O
depict	O
Argentina	O
in	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
two	O
ideas	O
for	O
the	O
level	O
were	O
a	O
"	O
tango	B-Algorithm
location	O
set	O
in	O
Buenos	O
Aires	O
"	O
or	O
a	O
vineyard	O
in	O
South	O
Africa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
went	O
to	O
great	O
lengths	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
fictional	O
location	O
with	O
authentic-looking	O
terrain	O
and	O
vegetation	O
,	O
to	O
show	O
the	O
winemaking	O
process	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
accurately	O
portray	O
aspects	O
of	O
Argentine	O
culture	O
like	O
the	O
tango	B-Algorithm
and	O
the	O
drinking	O
of	O
mate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
real-life	O
Villavicencio	O
Natural	O
Reserve	O
was	O
an	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
architecture	O
of	O
the	O
level	O
while	O
professional	O
dancers	O
were	O
hired	O
for	O
the	O
tango	B-Algorithm
animations	O
and	O
consulted	O
about	O
the	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Agent	O
47	O
's	O
handler	O
Diana	B-Application
Burnwood	I-Application
appears	O
in-person	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
the	O
Mendoza	O
mission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
mission	O
,	O
47	O
meets	O
Diana	O
on	O
the	O
dancefloor	O
for	O
a	O
tango	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
speaking	O
to	O
Polygon	O
about	O
this	O
decision	O
Engström	O
says	O
"	O
we	O
have	O
Diana	O
in-game	O
;	O
they	O
're	O
going	O
to	O
do	O
a	O
tango	B-Algorithm
on	O
the	O
dance	O
floor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
David	O
Bateson	O
and	O
Jane	O
Perry	O
,	O
the	O
voice	O
actors	O
for	O
Agent	O
47	O
and	O
Diana	O
respectively	O
,	O
named	O
the	O
tango	B-Algorithm
scene	O
as	O
their	O
favourite	O
Agent	O
47	O
and	O
Diana	O
interaction	O
from	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ambrose	O
Island	O
was	O
added	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
2	O
Update	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
wanted	O
to	O
feature	O
Lucas	O
Grey	O
and	O
explore	O
what	O
happened	O
to	O
the	O
militia	O
after	O
he	O
left	O
them	O
during	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Goyon	O
describes	O
how	O
they	O
"	O
found	O
it	O
interesting	O
to	O
explore	O
who	O
could	O
have	O
taken	O
over	O
the	O
leadership	O
of	O
the	O
militia	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
hint	O
at	O
the	O
past	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	O
Maelstrom	O
's	O
pirate	O
syndicate	O
at	O
large	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Maelstrom	O
being	O
a	O
central	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
Mumbai	O
location	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
other	O
outdoor	O
Hitman	B-Application
maps	O
such	O
as	O
Santa	O
Fortuna	O
and	O
Mumbai	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
which	O
heavily	O
revolve	O
around	O
built-up	O
areas	O
,	O
Ambrose	O
Island	O
was	O
designed	O
around	O
the	O
natural	O
rocky	O
topology	O
and	O
jungles	O
of	O
the	O
island	O
with	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
map	O
consisting	O
of	O
natural	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
IO	O
Interactive	O
wanted	O
a	O
more	O
mature	O
darker	O
tone	O
than	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
which	O
had	O
embraced	O
more	O
of	O
the	O
comedy	O
and	O
playful	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
director	O
Mattias	O
Engström	O
says	O
that	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
the	O
Mumbai	O
and	O
Miami	O
missions	O
were	O
examples	O
of	O
IO	O
reaching	O
their	O
limit	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
mission	O
size	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
better	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
little	O
sharper	O
and	O
more	O
focused	O
,	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
more	O
polished	O
and	O
coherent	O
experience	O
"	O
as	O
large	O
levels	O
can	O
be	O
overwhelming	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
replay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
immersive	O
sim	O
games	O
when	O
adding	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
features	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
like	O
the	O
keypads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
Interactive	O
considered	O
using	O
an	O
episodic	O
model	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
like	O
that	O
seen	O
in	O
2016	O
's	O
Hitman	B-Application
,	O
where	O
the	O
first	O
location	O
would	O
have	O
released	O
in	O
August	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
Interactive	O
decided	O
to	O
make	O
heavy	O
use	O
of	O
lossless	O
LZ4	B-Language
compression	I-Language
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
file	O
size	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
the	O
way	O
the	O
content	O
from	O
the	O
older	O
titles	O
is	O
imported	O
was	O
changed	O
,	O
which	O
results	O
in	O
less	O
duplicate	O
data	O
compared	O
to	O
Hitman	B-Application
where	O
each	O
episode	O
needed	O
all	O
the	O
code	O
and	O
assets	O
to	O
work	O
standalone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
result	O
is	O
a	O
file	O
size	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
of	O
only	O
around	O
60-70	O
GB	O
including	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
maps	O
and	O
content	O
from	O
both	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Hitman	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
comparison	O
,	O
the	O
full	O
size	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
with	O
all	O
the	O
maps	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
is	O
nearly	O
150	O
GB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2020	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
teamed	O
up	O
with	O
Intel	O
to	O
optimise	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
performance	O
on	O
high-end	O
CPUs	O
with	O
8+	O
cores	O
,	O
which	O
results	O
in	O
more	O
crowds	O
and	O
environment	O
destructibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
high-end	O
CPU	O
features	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
24	O
May	O
2022	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
real-time	O
raytracing	B-Algorithm
and	O
adaptive	O
supersampling	O
(	O
using	O
Nvidia	B-Device
DLSS	I-Device
or	O
AMD	O
FidelityFX	O
Super	O
Resolution	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intel	B-Device
XeSS	I-Device
technology	O
was	O
implemented	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
which	O
uses	O
machine	O
learning	O
to	O
improve	O
performance	O
and	O
image	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
to	O
add	O
a	O
VR	O
mode	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
originated	O
in	O
2018	O
when	O
a	O
senior	O
game	O
designer	O
brought	O
his	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
headset	O
into	O
the	O
office	O
to	O
show	O
it	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
People	O
at	O
the	O
office	O
found	O
that	O
they	O
"	O
could	O
n't	O
stop	O
playing	O
"	O
the	O
game	O
Firewall	B-Application
:	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
Hour	I-Application
which	O
inspired	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
make	O
their	O
own	O
VR	O
mode	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
PC	O
VR	O
release	O
in	O
2022	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
wanted	O
to	O
include	O
more	O
physicality	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
having	O
two	O
controllers	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
single	O
DualShock	B-Device
controller	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
with	O
how	O
the	O
player	O
throws	O
items	O
or	O
holds	O
a	O
weapon	O
with	O
two	O
hands	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
15	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
that	O
unlike	O
console	O
players	O
,	O
PC	O
players	O
would	O
have	O
to	O
pay	O
for	O
an	O
access	O
pass	O
to	O
unlock	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
locations	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
even	O
after	O
announcing	O
in	O
August	O
2020	O
that	O
players	O
would	O
unlock	O
them	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
at	O
no	O
additional	O
cost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
led	O
to	O
criticism	O
over	O
IO	O
's	O
exclusivity	O
deal	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
,	O
especially	O
since	O
most	O
players	O
already	O
owned	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tim	O
Sweeney	O
,	O
Epic	O
Games	O
 '	O
CEO	B-Application
,	O
later	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
announcement	O
with	O
:	O
"	O
Sorry	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
is	O
looking	O
into	O
this	O
with	O
IO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
's	O
never	O
Epic	O
's	O
intent	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
situation	O
where	O
someone	O
who	O
owns	O
a	O
game	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
would	O
have	O
to	O
buy	O
it	O
again	O
on	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
to	O
get	O
the	O
full	O
benefits	O
of	O
it.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
said	O
they	O
were	O
working	O
on	O
a	O
solution	O
to	O
allow	O
Steam	B-Application
players	O
to	O
import	O
locations	O
to	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
guaranteed	O
that	O
players	O
will	O
not	O
need	O
to	O
repurchase	O
the	O
games	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
they	O
admitted	O
there	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
delay	O
and	O
players	O
could	O
not	O
import	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
locations	O
into	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
for	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
27	O
August	O
2020	O
,	O
digital-only	O
pre-orders	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
launched	O
for	O
PlayStation	O
,	O
PC	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
8	O
September	O
2020	O
,	O
pre-orders	O
for	O
Stadia	B-Application
went	O
live	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	O
via	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
(	O
via	O
cloud	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
)	O
and	O
streaming	O
service	O
Stadia	B-Application
(	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Hitman	B-Application
:	I-Application
World	I-Application
of	I-Application
Assassination	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
having	O
to	O
shift	O
to	O
remote	O
working	O
during	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
they	O
were	O
still	O
able	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
launch	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
plagued	O
with	O
server-based	O
issues	O
,	O
with	O
users	O
unable	O
to	O
transfer	O
over	O
their	O
progress	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
users	O
unable	O
to	O
use	O
their	O
Access	O
Pass	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
unable	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
servers	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
leaving	O
them	O
unable	O
to	O
make	O
progress	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
week	O
after	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
release	O
,	O
IO	O
's	O
studio	O
head	O
Hakan	O
Abrak	O
stated	O
they	O
had	O
made	O
back	O
their	O
development	O
costs	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
that	O
puts	O
us	O
in	O
a	O
really	O
good	O
place	O
and	O
allows	O
us	O
to	O
confidently	O
move	O
forward	O
with	O
our	O
ambitious	O
plans	O
for	O
future	O
projects.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
13	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
Trilogy	O
,	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
all	O
three	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
World	O
of	O
Assassination	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
Trilogy	O
were	O
released	O
for	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass/PC	I-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
on	O
20	O
January	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
of	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
features	O
full	O
cross-progression	O
support	O
with	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
launch	O
,	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
version	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
wave	O
of	O
negative	O
reviews	O
from	O
players	O
who	O
complained	O
about	O
the	O
price	O
being	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
when	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
launched	O
on	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
a	O
year	O
earlier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
issued	O
a	O
statement	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
launch	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
did	O
n't	O
go	O
as	O
planned	O
"	O
and	O
offered	O
all	O
players	O
who	O
had	O
already	O
bought	O
the	O
game	O
or	O
who	O
purchased	O
it	O
through	O
to	O
19	O
February	O
a	O
free	O
upgrade	O
to	O
the	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
who	O
already	O
owned	O
or	O
purchased	O
either	O
the	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
or	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
Trilogy	O
would	O
receive	O
the	O
Seven	O
Deadly	O
Sins	O
DLC	B-Protocol
for	O
free	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
discontinuing	O
their	O
Stadia	B-Application
service	O
in	O
January	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
:	O
"	O
To	O
all	O
our	O
Hitman	B-Application
fans	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Stadia	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
hear	O
you	O
-	O
we	O
are	O
looking	O
into	O
ways	O
for	O
you	O
to	O
continue	O
your	O
Hitman	B-Application
experience	O
on	O
other	O
platforms.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
that	O
Stadia	B-Application
players	O
would	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
transfer	O
their	O
progress	O
to	O
other	O
platforms	O
from	O
11	O
January	O
to	O
17	O
February	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
confirmed	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
on	O
29	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
although	O
no	O
specific	O
release	O
date	O
was	O
given	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
being	O
announced	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
released	O
,	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
was	O
not	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
Deluxe	O
pack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
Free	O
Starter	O
Pack	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
30	O
March	O
2021	O
,	O
which	O
grants	O
players	O
permanent	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
ICA	O
Facility	O
training	O
missions	O
from	O
2016	O
's	O
Hitman	B-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
periodic	O
free	O
access	O
to	O
other	O
locations	O
from	O
the	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
allows	O
players	O
who	O
own	O
Hitman	B-Application
and	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
but	O
not	O
the	O
full	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
game	O
to	O
import	O
their	O
maps	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
play	O
with	O
the	O
features	O
added	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
such	O
as	O
improved	O
lighting	O
and	O
the	O
new	O
camera	O
item	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
22	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
the	O
Year	O
2	O
update	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
which	O
would	O
feature	O
ray	B-Algorithm
tracing	I-Algorithm
for	O
PC	O
,	O
PCVR	O
support	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
permanent	O
new	O
game	O
mode	O
known	O
as	O
'	O
Elusive	O
Target	O
Arcade	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
13	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
Trilogy	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
fully	O
revealed	O
the	O
Year	O
2	O
update	O
,	O
giving	O
further	O
details	O
about	O
the	O
Elusive	O
Target	O
Arcade	O
and	O
announcing	O
a	O
new	O
'	O
Freelancer	O
 '	O
game	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Freelancer	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
set	O
sometime	O
after	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
epilogue	O
,	O
would	O
introduce	O
a	O
customisable	O
safehouse	O
for	O
47	O
,	O
mission	O
hub	O
,	O
and	O
various	O
items	O
and	O
NPCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Elusive	O
Target	O
Arcade	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
20	O
January	O
,	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
Trilogy	O
's	O
release	O
and	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
's	O
launch	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
Interactive	O
announced	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
free	O
update	O
for	O
all	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
players	O
and	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
allowing	O
select	O
PC	O
players	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
closed	O
technical	O
tests	O
over	O
the	O
coming	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
23	O
,	O
2023	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
released	O
plans	O
for	O
monthly	O
updates	O
for	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
in	O
the	O
months	O
to	O
come	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
9/10	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
Rich	O
,	O
rewarding	O
,	O
and	O
highly	O
replayable	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
superb	O
instalment	O
of	O
IO	O
's	O
idiosyncratic	O
but	O
much-loved	O
stealth	O
series.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
What	O
's	O
good	O
about	O
Hitman	B-Application
—	O
its	O
level	O
design	O
and	O
the	O
creativity	O
,	O
experimentation	O
,	O
and	O
exploration	O
that	O
affords	O
—	O
is	O
great	O
in	O
Hitman	B-Application
3.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
magnificent	O
videogame	O
and	O
a	O
perfect	O
swansong	O
for	O
Agent	O
47	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
writes	O
in	O
their	O
"	O
Best	O
Stealth	O
"	O
award	O
article	O
that	O
"[the]	O
impeccable	O
design	O
is	O
what	O
makes	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
not	O
just	O
a	O
great	O
stealth	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
near	O
endlessly	O
replayable	O
one	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
level	O
set	O
on	O
a	O
train	O
in	O
the	O
Carpathian	O
Mountains	O
however	O
received	O
criticism	O
for	O
its	O
linearity	O
and	O
for	O
feeling	O
out	O
of	O
place	O
for	O
a	O
Hitman	B-Application
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ability	O
to	O
import	O
content	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
and	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
order	O
to	O
have	O
the	O
maps	O
of	O
all	O
three	O
games	O
in	O
one	O
was	O
praised	O
with	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
do	O
that	O
[	O
import	O
the	O
levels	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
games ]	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
is	O
easily	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
on	O
PC	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
removal	O
of	O
Ghost	O
Mode	O
and	O
the	O
co-operative	O
Sniper	O
Assassin	O
mode	O
from	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
criticised	O
by	O
some	O
reviewers	O
,	O
with	O
GameSpot	O
describing	O
how	O
it	O
meant	O
"	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
is	O
scaled	O
down	O
somewhat	O
as	O
an	O
overall	O
package	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
mode	O
received	O
mostly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
and	O
was	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
immersion	O
,	O
impressive	O
visuals	O
for	O
a	O
PSVR	B-Device
title	O
and	O
for	O
supporting	O
all	O
the	O
maps	O
in	O
the	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
however	O
criticised	O
for	O
the	O
visual	O
downgrades	O
required	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
run	O
on	O
PSVR	B-Device
compared	O
to	O
the	O
regular	O
game	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
reflections	O
and	O
low	O
draw	B-General_Concept
distance	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
control	O
scheme	O
utilising	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
DualShock	B-Device
4	I-Device
controller	O
and	O
motion	O
controls	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
reported	O
on	O
24	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
taken	O
the	O
number	O
1	O
position	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
game	O
boxed	O
charts	O
,	O
with	O
launch	O
sales	O
up	O
17%	O
over	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
CEO	B-Application
Hakan	O
Abrak	O
stated	O
that	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
performed	O
"	O
300%	O
better	O
commercially	O
"	O
than	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Hitman	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
reported	O
on	O
22	O
November	O
2021	O
that	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
franchise	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
entire	O
World	O
of	O
Assassination	O
trilogy	O
had	O
reached	O
50	O
million	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
received	O
the	O
"	O
PC	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
at	O
the	O
Golden	O
Joystick	O
Awards	O
2021	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Stealth	O
"	O
award	O
from	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
VR/AR	O
Game	O
"	O
at	O
The	O
Game	O
Awards	O
2021	O
for	O
its	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamers	O
Ian	O
Higton	O
named	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
PS	B-Device
VR	I-Device
game	O
of	O
2021	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
voted	O
the	O
best	O
PS	B-Device
VR	I-Device
game	O
of	O
2021	O
by	O
readers	O
of	O
PlayStation	O
Blog	O
..	O
After	O
its	O
Steam	B-Application
release	O
in	O
2022	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
won	O
"	O
VR	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
2022	O
Steam	B-Application
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
episode	O
of	O
the	O
A	O
Sound	O
Effect	O
Podcast	O
featuring	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
developers	O
titled	O
"	O
How	O
Hitman	B-Application
3s	I-Application
powerful	O
sound	O
was	O
made	O
with	O
the	O
audio	O
team	O
at	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
"	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Game	O
Audio	O
Presentation	O
Podcast	O
or	O
Broadcast	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
2022	O
Game	O
Audio	O
Network	O
Guild	O
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
various	O
interviews	O
conducted	O
with	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
,	O
they	O
have	O
confirmed	O
that	O
despite	O
Hitman	B-Application
3	I-Application
being	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
World	O
of	O
Assassination	O
trilogy	O
,	O
it	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
the	O
last	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christian	O
Elverdam	O
,	O
IO	O
Interactive	O
's	O
chief	O
creative	O
officer	O
,	O
has	O
said	O
that	O
walking	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
franchise	O
for	O
the	O
time	O
being	O
and	O
closing	O
the	O
door	O
on	O
this	O
chapter	O
of	O
Agent	O
47	O
's	O
story	O
feels	O
fitting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IO	O
Interactive	O
have	O
confirmed	O
they	O
are	O
likely	O
going	O
to	O
do	O
a	O
new	O
take	O
on	O
the	O
gaming	O
formula	O
when	O
they	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
Hitman	B-Application
series	I-Application
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
