Hitman: World of Assassination Passes Astonishing Player Milestone

Summary

• Hitman: World of Assassination has surpassed 75 million players, marking it as potentially IO Interactive's most successful game to date.
• This milestone includes players who accessed the game via the Free Starter Pack and those who played through Xbox Game Pass over its two-year availability.

IO Interactive recently announced that Hitman: World of Assassination has reached an impressive milestone of 75 million players. This achievement underscores the game's significant impact and popularity, making it arguably the most successful title from the Danish studio.

It's worth noting that Hitman: World of Assassination isn't just a single game but a comprehensive collection. Two years after the release of the third installment in the new trilogy, IO Interactive decided to merge the latest three Hitman games into one package. This bundle was relaunched for PC and consoles in January 2023 and later became available on the Meta Quest 3 in September 2024.

On January 10, IO Interactive took to Twitter to share this "monumental" achievement, stating that their business is currently "more solid than ever." While specific details about the milestone were not disclosed, it's speculated that Hitman 3 might have played a significant role in boosting the overall player numbers. Previous sales data suggests that Hitman 3 performed better than its predecessor in key markets like the UK, and it also managed to recover its development costs more quickly than the 2016 Hitman did.

Hitman's Latest Player Milestone Likely Driven by Xbox Game Pass and Free Starter Pack

The availability of Hitman: World of Assassination on Xbox Game Pass for two years, ending in January 2024, likely played a crucial role in reaching the 75 million player mark. Additionally, the Free Starter Pack, introduced since the game's initial release in 2021, has been a significant factor. The first two entries in the trilogy also benefited from free demos, which helped expand their reach.

Despite Massive Success, the Hitman Series Is Currently on a Kind of Hiatus

Despite the ongoing success, Hitman: World of Assassination continues to receive regular content updates, with IO Interactive confirming that this will persist for some time. However, these updates primarily consist of minor content like Elusive Targets.

Currently, IO Interactive is not focusing on developing another Hitman game. Instead, they are working on two new projects: Project 007, a game based on the James Bond IP that has been in development since 2020, and Project Fantasy, a new IP announced in 2023, which aims to explore a fantastical setting and push the studio into new creative territories.