Summary
- Hitman: World of Assassination has surpassed 75 million players, marking a significant achievement for IO Interactive.
- This milestone includes players who accessed the game via the Free Starter Pack and Xbox Game Pass over a two-year period.
Hitman: World of Assassination has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 75 million players, as announced by IO Interactive. This figure positions the game as potentially the most successful title from the Danish studio to date.
It's worth noting that Hitman: World of Assassination is not just a single game but a comprehensive collection of the latest three Hitman titles. Two years after the launch of the third installment, IO Interactive decided to merge these games into one package, which was re-released for PC and consoles in January 2023, and later for the Meta Quest 3 in September 2024.
On January 10, IO Interactive shared this "monumental" achievement on Twitter, stating that their business is now "more solid than ever." While specific details about the milestone were not disclosed, it's speculated that Hitman 3 significantly contributed to this player count, given its strong performance in key markets like the UK and its faster recovery of development costs compared to its predecessor, the 2016 Hitman.
Hitman's Latest Player Milestone Is Likely Driven by Xbox Game Pass and Free Starter Pack
The impressive player count of 75 million can largely be attributed to the game's availability on Xbox Game Pass for two years, until it was removed in January 2024. Additionally, the Free Starter Pack, available since the game's initial release in 2021, played a crucial role. The first two games in the trilogy also benefited from free demos, further expanding their reach.
Despite Massive Success, the Hitman Series Is Currently on a Kind of Hiatus
Even though Hitman: World of Assassination continues to receive regular content updates, including Elusive Targets, IO Interactive's focus on the franchise appears to be limited to these minor additions. The studio is currently working on two new projects outside the Hitman universe: Project 007, a James Bond game announced in 2020, and Project Fantasy, a new IP with a fantastical setting revealed in 2023, both of which aim to push IO Interactive into new territories.
