It sounds like Agent 47 has another mission in his crosshairs as rumors swirl that a new Hitman game is coming to consoles.

Starting with Hitman: Codename 47 on Windows in 2000, the franchise has spun out into eight games, two average movies, and an upcoming Hulu series from the creator of John Wick. Hitman isn’t exactly one of the best-loved gaming series out there, but it hasn’t stopped a loyal fanbase looking for what could come next.

IO Interactive only just announced that it will be releasing Hitman: Definitive Edition for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but the fun might not stop there. Continuing the tradition of games being leaked before their official announcement, the Korean rating’s board (via VideoGamer) has teased the arrival of Hitman: Sniper Assassin. Interestingly, this is the second hint towards IO’s next installment after the name popped on an Australian rating’s board earlier this year.

After being dropped by Square Enix, IO Interactive is keen to branch out on its own with Hitman at the forefront. When the company announced Definitive Edition only weeks ago, developers reminded fans of the long-running shooter series that they are hard at work on the next game. Nothing is known about what Sniper Assassin will involve, but it could be an amalgamation of previous releases Hitman: Sniper (iOS and Android) and Hitman Sniper Challenge (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC).


With so many franchises having already moved onto next-gen consoles, it is about time that Hitman makes a name for itself with a proper title other than a re-release of 2016’s episodic game. While Definitive Edition is enough to keep some gamers happy, the idea of a wholly new adventure is one that is much more exciting. Fans already know that Hitman (2016) season 2 is planned at some point, but the lengthy delay might be due to IO’s focus on a standalone game instead. However, with Hitman winning Giant Bomb’s Game of the Year, would it not be more sensible to steam ahead with season 2 rather than dilute the series into unknown territory?

While Agent 47 has been through more than enough in his life, IO Interactive has promised to do something new with Hitman when it returns. Interestingly, the arrival of Definitive Edition coincides with IO Interactive’s 20th anniversary, and with E3 also just around the corner, the timing could be perfect to announce some ambitious plans for where the series will head in the future. Either way, with two possible Hitman projects in the works, it sounds like 47 isn’t being put out to pasture just yet.