Agent 47's World of Assassination trilogy concludes — and absorbs the other two games. Image: IO Interactive
Hitman 3 launched on 20 January 2021 and has since been renamed Hitman: World of Assassination. That change matters: the package now bundles the campaigns from Hitman (2016) and Hitman 2 (2018) alongside Hitman 3, plus Freelancer mode. It is over twenty sandbox levels in one purchase.
Naming note: if you are searching for “Hitman 3” you will now find Hitman: World of Assassination. IO Interactive consolidated the trilogy into a single product in 2023. You no longer need to own the earlier games separately to play their levels — that was a common and expensive source of confusion previously.
At a glance
| Developer | IO Interactive |
| Released | 20 January 2021 · renamed World of Assassination 2023 |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch (cloud), VR |
| Hitman 3 locations | Six — Dubai, Dartmoor, Berlin, Chongqing, Mendoza, Carpathian Mountains |
| Length | ~8 hours for Hitman 3's story · hundreds across the full trilogy |
What kind of game is it?
Each level is a large, densely simulated sandbox containing one or more targets. You choose how to reach and eliminate them.
Disguises are the core mechanic: take a guard's uniform and you can walk through restricted areas, though anyone who knew the original will see through it. Around that sit poisons, accidents, sabotage, and a great deal of patient observation.
The intended loop is repetition. Your first run through a level is clumsy improvisation; your fifth is a precise plan executed in eight minutes. Levels are built to be replayed, and the challenge and unlock systems exist to encourage exactly that.
What are the standout levels?
Dartmoor is the most celebrated. A murder has occurred at an English country estate and 47 can pose as a private detective, interview suspects, examine evidence and formally accuse someone — a full whodunnit built inside an assassination sandbox.
Berlin inverts the formula: you are not told who your targets are. Eleven undercover agents are hunting you, and you must identify and eliminate them from behavioural clues.
Chongqing and Mendoza are more traditional but excellent, and Dubai opens the game with the series' best sense of scale.
Disguises, patience and observation — the loop rewards replaying a level, not finishing it.
What is Freelancer mode?
A free roguelike mode added in 2023, and the biggest addition since launch.
You run campaigns against criminal syndicates across the trilogy's locations. Between missions you return to a safehouse to manage weapons and equipment. Targets are randomised, optional objectives add restrictions, and dying loses your gear permanently.
It transforms Hitman from a memorisation game into an improvisation one, because you cannot rely on a rehearsed route. For anyone who has already mastered the levels, it is the best reason to return.
Do you need to play Hitman 1 and 2 first?
Not for the story, which is thin and easily followed. But you do not have to choose — World of Assassination includes all three campaigns.
If you are new, start with the Hitman (2016) levels included in the package. Paris and Sapienza are the best tutorials the series has, and they teach the systems more gently than Dubai does.
Is the PC version good?
Yes. It supports ray-traced reflections and shadows, DLSS and FSR, ultrawide, and uncapped frame rates.
Tuning advice: Hitman is unusually CPU-heavy because of crowd simulation — levels like Chongqing and Miami track hundreds of individual NPCs. If you see poor performance in busy areas but fine performance elsewhere, that is your CPU, not your GPU. Lower the crowd density setting first; reducing shadows or textures will not help. Ray tracing is expensive and the least necessary setting visually.
Where can you buy it?
- PC — Steam and the Epic Games Store
- PlayStation — PlayStation Store (PS4 and PS5)
- Xbox — Microsoft Store
- Nintendo — Switch cloud version
Buying advice
Buy Hitman: World of Assassination — it is the current product and contains all three campaigns plus Freelancer. Owners of the older separate games were migrated into it. There is additional paid content in the form of the Deluxe and Sarajevo Six style packs, but these are optional side missions rather than core content. IO Interactive discounts the package heavily and often, and it has appeared in subscription catalogues.
A note on cracked builds: they are illegal, a known malware vector, and cannot connect to IO's servers — which disables Freelancer, Elusive Targets, challenge progression and unlocks. Offline Hitman loses most of the systems that make it worth playing. IGGG Guides does not link to pirated software.
Hitman 3 FAQ
Is Hitman 3 the same as World of Assassination?
Yes. Hitman 3 was renamed Hitman: World of Assassination in 2023 and now includes all three trilogy campaigns.
How long is Hitman 3?
About 8 hours for a single run through its six levels — but the game is built around replaying them, and full completion runs into hundreds of hours.
Do I need an internet connection?
Offline play is possible, but challenges, unlocks, Freelancer and Elusive Targets require a connection to IO's servers.
What is the best level?
Dartmoor is the most widely praised, with its full murder-mystery investigation. Berlin is the most inventive.
Is there VR support?
Yes, on supported platforms, though implementation varies and it is best treated as a bonus.
Is Freelancer free?
Yes. It was added at no cost to owners.
The verdict
Hitman 3 is the strongest entry in a trilogy that had already refined its formula, and consolidating all three games into World of Assassination turned it into one of the best-value packages in the medium.
Dartmoor and Berlin are the most inventive levels IO has built, Freelancer gives veterans a genuine reason to return, and the sandbox design rewards curiosity like almost nothing else.
Best for: anyone who enjoys systemic stealth, experimentation and replaying levels to perfect them.
Skip if: you want a linear story you finish once.
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Last updated: 6 September 2026