Siliconera reports that Square Enix has filed a trademark application with the European trademark authority for the phrase "Hitman: Profession." As you can see from the below screencap, the filing is relatively recent, and there's little indication as to what exactly the trademark refers to.
IO Interactive is currently prepping the latest entry in the franchise, Absolution for a 2012 release, but that's not all Square Enix has planned for Agent 47. Last month, we learned that the company was opening a new studio in Montreal to work on a new Hitman title, rumored to be headed for next-gen consoles.
Could this trademark filing be in reference to that project? It's certainly within the realm of possibility, but given that the Square Enix Montreal won't even open its doors until sometime next year, that probably isn't the case. The more likely scenario is that Profession will somehow tie into Absolution, either as an in-game feature, promotional tie-in, or spin-off title.
Our bet? It's got something to do with Hitman: Absolution's mysterious online multiplayer.
