Square Enix has once again changed the release model for Hitman, with IO Interactive's title now launching as a "truly episodic AAA game experience."
This follows shortly after the game was removed from the PlayStation Store.
The prologue mission and a Paris location will be available on March 11th, with an Italian location launching in April, followed by a Moroccan location in May. Monthly content updates will follow, adding Thailand, the US, and Japan. Weekly live events and additional content will be available between the monthly content updates.
“We decided to take the full leap and publish Hitman as a truly episodic game experience,” studio boss Hannes Seifert explained. “Part of that decision is for that little bit of extra time to ensure every location we release is at the quality level fitting for a Hitman game.
“But the main driving reason is that this will allow us to create a living game that will expand and evolve over time and establish a foundation for the future – this is the first game in a storyline which will continue and expand with future Hitman games.”
An Intro Pack containing the Prologue and Paris levels will be available for $15 or local equivalent, while each subsequent location will come at $10 each as an add-on item to the Intro Pack. You will be able to buy the Full Experience up front for $60, which includes all of the game's content as it's released.
The Sarajevo Six, featuring six bonus contracts, will be exclusive to PlayStation gamers with a new mission opening up with the release of each location. The story is self-contained and sees Agent 47 “travel the world in pursuit of six former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA".
Hitman's beta launches on February 12th for PlayStation 4 and on February 19th for PC. Access is guaranteed to anyone who pre-orders the game's Full Experience or the Intro Pack.
A retail version of Hitman will launch later in 2016.
