'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYI/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAzlSiH//EAB8QAAEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwUABBESEyExUf/aAAgBAQABPwCFnb6OtHW7R0tklS9h9UnBp6GPMvLvex8r/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQMBAT8Ap//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Released last year for PC and consoles, Hitman 3 is the latest in developer IO Interactive's iconic third-person stealth franchise. The game saw continued support even after its release in the form of DLC and events, and we're now ever closer to finding out more about the elusive Freelancer game mode, which is set to arrive on January 26, 2023.
First announced as part of their Year 2 series of updates, Freelancer was revealed to be a new mode that will feature roguelite missions and even a customizable safehouse. While the team has not shared anything particularly new with regards to the specifics, it will receive a closed network test soon.
What to expect from Hitman 3: Freelancer and its closed network test
In a blog post titled Road to Freelance, the team elaborated on their plans for Hitman 3 pertaining to the new mode. Early next month, select players will be chosen to try out online for the mode.
Those who get a chance to participate will be able to toy around with the core mechanics of Freelancer and provide feedback, which should provide IO Interactive with crucial information to further refine the experience. However, they have stated that a few things will remain "under wraps," meaning even closed test players won't see everything there will be on offer.
Coming back to the fundamentals of Freelancer, it will feature missions having roguelite elements. While no details have been shared as to how it would function, it should be easy to guess how it would function based on the design implementation in other games.
Essentially, rogulite games feature permadeath, where players are sent back to the start of a level if they die or fail. This should provide even greater challenge to stealth fans, as they navigate tightly-crafted spaces to hunt down contracts. Meanwhile, the customizable safehouse should offer a momentary respite from all the action.
Here's what to expect from IO Interactive with regards to drip-fed public information about the upcoming game mode:
- Today: Road to Freelancer #1 - First details shared
- October 6, 2022: 3.130 Patch & October Roadmap
- October 27, 2022: Road to Freelancer #2 - more information to expand upon the game mode
- November 2022: Closed Technical Test + Road to Freelancer #3
- December 2022: More ‘Road to Freelancer’ articles
- January 26, 2023: Freelancer game mode coming to Hitman 3.
Hitman 3 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A cloud version is also available on Nintendo Switch.
