“Monumental” Hitman: World of Assassination Reaches Over 75 Million Global Players

Hitman: World of Assassination has celebrated a remarkable achievement, surpassing a player base of 75 million worldwide. Developers IO Interactive have expressed their gratitude to the devoted community that has supported the franchise throughout its journey.

This title serves as a compilation of the three rebooted Hitman games launched between 2016 and 2021, along with various downloadable content (DLC) contracts released over the years. Notably, each installment featured a different publisher, culminating in Hitman 3 being self-published by IO Interactive. This prompted the decision to bundle the titles together strategically, leading IOI to share their enthusiasm on X, declaring that “IOI is more solid than ever, driven by ambition.”Since its relaunch in 2016, the storied stealth franchise has positioned itself as a frontrunner in live-service updates, offering intricate sandbox environments for players to explore immersive assassination missions.

75 million players for HITMAN World of Assassination! Achieving this as an independent studio is monumental. IOI is more solid than ever, driven by ambition and supported by our incredible community. pic.twitter.com/NYz2P7hKM4 — IO Interactive (@IOInteractive) January 10, 2025

How Hitman Reached This Milestone

Revitalizing the Franchise

The road to achieving 75 million players for IO Interactive began with a critical overhaul of the Hitman series, following the lukewarm reception of 2012’s Hitman: Absolution. The previous installment faced backlash primarily due to its shift away from traditional assassination missions and a greater emphasis on action-oriented gameplay. In response, the developers rebooted the series in 2016 with a fresh episodic release model that gradually introduced players to intricately crafted game environments. This innovative approach rekindled interest in the franchise, paving the way for Hitman 2 and Hitman 3, which expanded gameplay mechanics and introduced modes such as the popular roguelike Freelancer.

To date, there have been eight mainline entries in the Hitman franchise, beginning with 2000’s Hitman: Codename 47.

In January 2023, IO Interactive chose to rebrand Hitman 3 as Hitman: World of Assassination, integrating all contracts from the rebooted series into one comprehensive package. The 75 million player milestone, as announced in their heartfelt post on X, may have been further fueled by the availability of free demo contracts and inclusion in subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Furthermore, the studio continues to engage its community through updates, including the introduction of VR modes and intricate Elusive Target missions.

What Lies Ahead for Agent 47 and IO Interactive?

Exploring New Frontiers

The celebration of this significant milestone has ignited speculation regarding the future of IO Interactive and the Hitman series. Although concrete plans for new installments remain under wraps, VR enthusiasts can anticipate a VR adaptation of World of Assassination on March 27 of this year. This updated version will provide players with a fully immersive experience, complete with advanced room-scale technology and user-friendly controls.

Moreover, IO Interactive has begun development on a new James Bond game, tentatively titled Project 007, promising a unique storyline centered around the iconic MI6 agent. In parallel, a novel online fantasy RPG named Project Fantasy is also in the works. Given IOI’s track record and the enthusiasm surrounding the 75 million player milestone for Hitman: World of Assassination, expectations are high for both upcoming titles.

Source: X – IO Interactive, IOI.DK

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