Hitman Retail Release Pushed Back To 2017

The retail version of IO Interactive’s Hitman will now be released in January 2017, publisher Square Enix announced today. The physical version of the game comes complete with the entire experience.

Those who don’t want to wait will be able to download the first episode of the game from tomorrow. Additional locations and assassination contracts will be introduced over the coming months in order to flesh out the game, complete the story, and encourage players to more thoroughly explore the game’s sizable environments.

“This year is all about delivering the best episodic experience for Hitman and that takes us to Autumn/Fall,” a Square Enix spokesperson told Game Informer. “Releasing the disc version in January just makes sure we have enough time after the season concludes to dedicate to getting the best disc version of the game out.”

Seven episodes will be released between now and the retail game’s release. The first offers access to the prologue location previously visited in the beta and Paris. Next month will see the release of the Sapienza, Italy location followed by Marrakesh, Morocco in May. Further locations include Thailand, the United States, and Japan, all of which will be made available later in the year.

Players have the option of buying a $15 Intro Pack and can upgrade to the full experience for an additional $50. Buying the Full Experience outright costs $60. Extra chapters are also available to purchase for $10 each.

Square Enix released Hitman’s Season Premiere trailer earlier this month as well as a “real-life” video.