IO Interactive has announced that Hitman: World of Assassination has achieved an impressive milestone, reaching over 75 million players. This makes it likely the most successful game from the Danish studio to date.
It's worth noting that World of Assassination is not just a single game but a comprehensive collection of the latest three Hitman titles. Launched as a unified package in January 2023 for PC and consoles, it also became available on the Meta Quest 3 in September 2024. On January 10, IO Interactive shared this "monumental" achievement on Twitter, emphasizing that their business is currently "more solid than ever." Although specific details weren't provided, it's believed that Hitman 3 significantly boosted the overall player count, given its strong performance in markets like the UK and quicker recovery of development costs compared to its predecessors.
The 75-million-player milestone was significantly influenced by the game's availability on Xbox Game Pass for two years, ending in January 2024. Additionally, the Free Starter Pack, introduced with the game's initial release in 2021, played a crucial role. Free demos for the first two entries further expanded the game's reach.
Even though Hitman: World of Assassination continues to receive regular content updates, including Elusive Targets, IO Interactive is currently not focusing on developing a new Hitman game. Instead, the studio is working on two separate projects: Project 007, a game based on the James Bond IP announced in 2020, and Project Fantasy, a new IP revealed in 2023 aimed at exploring a fantastical setting and pushing IOI's creative boundaries.