Hitman: Absolution Will Have Multiplayer

The Hitman series has traditionally been single-player-only. However, IO Interactive is looking to inject a little multiplayer action into the newest installment, Hitman: Absolution.

"First of all, I want to say we do have something very, very interesting coming up in Hitman: Absolution on the online side," said IO Interactive producer Hakan Abrak in an interview with Eurogamer published today. "We're not ready to talk about it right now. Hitman is an assassin who works alone, but you never know in what form or in what way we could give you an online experience."

So, will Agent 47 be accompanied on his mission by Agent 48, a fast-talking assassin voiced by Chris Tucker? No, he will not. The multiplayer component will be separate from the campaign.

"It's unfortunately not something I can talk about right now, but I can say, in the story part, Agent 47 definitely works alone," said Abrak.

The other stealth games on the market gives us some ideas on what this multiplayer could be. Splinter Cell: Conviction had a completely separate co-op campaign in which two players conducted covert ops together. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood went the competitive multiplayer route, with teams of players attempting to assassinate each other in crowded towns. IO could probably make either concept work for Absolution.

The Hitman series centers around Agent 47, a mysterious assassin-for-hire. What really set the game apart was the non-linear gameplay. You were given a target but not told how to kill him. The game merely offered up options. For example, you could go in guns blazing, sneak in without a noise, knock out a guard and take his uniform, or find some other method. Elsewhere in the interview, Abrak said that this core experience will be maintained for Absolution but with more choices.