Earlier this year, IO Interactive announced that Freelancer Mode for Hitman 3 would be delayed. While fans of the critically-acclaimed title would be stuck playing the standard title for a while longer, there’s more to be excited about today, as the dev team has revealed nearly ten minutes of gameplay footage. Along with this, they have also announced a Closed Technical Test for the new mode which will be invite only. Currently, Hitman 3: Freelancer is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2023.
Freelancer mode will be a single-player mode that introduces more roguelike elements into Hitman 3, asking players to think even more strategically. This mode will also add a customizable safehouse, and given that players will be taking on missions in a constantly moving world, it would be more important than ever to make sure each and every detail is perfect before taking out the target. Gear and consumables won’t be persistent–if you grab them from the safehouse, they won’t be waiting for you when you get back.
Check out the 10-minute gameplay video below to see the concept behind the mode, how to play, what players can unlock, and plenty of new details.
Announced in the blog post alongside the gameplay footage, the Closed Technical Test for Freelancer mode will begin at 1 PM (UTC) on November 3 and will run until November 7 at 4 PM (UTC). This will only be available for Steam players and will be available as a separate game, meaning that it can’t be accessed by launching Hitman 3. Players will need a download code from IO Interactive to take part, and some people have already recieved an invitation email. A signup page has also been opened, so if you’d like to take part, head there now. Not everyone who shows interest will be invited, but it’s worth a try.
While the Closed Technical Test will give players a chance to try out this unique mode, it won’t be exactly the same as the full version. While the test will only feature 9 locations from Hitman 1, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3, the full release will include support for 19 locations. Players will have access to Paris, Sapienza, Hokkaido, Miami, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Dartmoor, Berlin, and Mendoza in the test.
Freelance Mastery will be tracked at Agent 47’s Safehouse. The full release will include 100 mastery levels, while the test will only include 25. Any progression made in the test will not transfer to the full release.
Hitman 3 was first released in January 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. The title has been called the best in the series to date and one of the best stealth games of all time, winning PC Game of the Year at the 2021 Golden Joystick Awards.