'Hitman 3' owners will get the previous two games for free

IO Interactive is making things easier to parse for newcomers to the Hitman series and giving Hitman 3 owners who don't already own the previous two games a bonus. On January 26th, the company will rename Hitman 3 to Hitman: World of Assassination. That's the moniker IOI gave to the recent rebooted trilogy. What's more, Hitman: WOA will include access to all three games.

Those who already owned Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 were supposed to be able to access levels from them in the third installment. However, the approach caused some confusion. This change should streamline things a bit.

If you own Hitman 3, you'll get a free upgrade to Hitman: WOA. IOI will delist the previous two games, though you'll still be able to download them again if you already own them. Hitman: WOA, which will cost $70, will be the only entry point for the trilogy moving forward. Hitman 3's current standard price is $60, but it's on sale for $21 on Steam until January 5th. You might find PlayStation, Xbox and Switch deals elsewhere.

A new $30 Deluxe Pack will grant you access to three expansion packs, which include two extra levels, a pair of sniper maps, the Seven Deadly Sins expansion for Hitman 3 and other challenges. The three expansions (Hitman 3 Deluxe Pack, Hitman 3 Seven Deadly Sins Collection and Hitman 2 Expansion Access Pass) will still be available separately on consoles and Epic Games Store. The Deluxe Pack will be pro-rated on Steam if you already own one or two of those DLCs.

IOI noted in a blog post that a key consideration for the updates was the roguelite Freelancer mode, as being able to access all levels from across the trilogy is important for players to get the most out of it. The Freelancer mode was supposed to debut last year, but it will go live on January 26th as well.

“We’re absolutely certain that these changes will have a hugely positive effect on existing players and new players alike. It will also make our lives a lot easier too, there’s no doubting that,” IOI wrote. “For many players, it will mean free content to enjoy. For others, it will mean significantly cheaper DLC prices. For new players, who probably aren’t reading this here, they’ll have a much better experience buying Hitman games.”