Absolution Finale

Lore & Background

Instead, it outlines the prologue and story of the 2016 Hitman game (the start of the World of Assassination trilogy). This new narrative begins in 1999 with an unnamed initiate joining the International Contract Agency (ICA) under the supervision of Erich Soders and Diana Burnwood.

In Their Own Story

In this story, Agent 47, working for Diana Burnwood, takes on contracts that appear unrelated but are secretly orchestrated by a "Shadow Client" to dismantle "Providence." The narrative follows 47 to Paris to kill fashion mogul Viktor Novikov and Dalia Margolis at a Sanguine fashion show. He then travels to the Italian town of Sapienza to eliminate scientists Silvio Caruso and Francesca De Santis, destroying a weaponized virus prototype. A second contract in Morocco involves Hamilton-Lowe hiring 47 to eliminate General Rez (the text cuts off here). These events are part of the Shadow Client's plan to make the ICA appear culpable while hiding his involvement.

Reader's Guide

It describes Hitman (2016) as a stealth game where players control Agent 47 in large, open-ended sandboxes across six episodes: Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokkaido. Gameplay involves using weapons like explosives, pistols, and sniper rifles, or performing silent takedowns with garrote wires, poison, or drowning. Players can disguise themselves to access restricted areas, though "Enforcers" may see through them. The game features a mastery system where completing challenges unlocks rewards. Additionally, the source mentions "Elusive Targets," which are time-limited missions where failure means the target never returns, and "Escalation Contracts" that increase in difficulty.

Did You Know?

• Hitman (2016) is the sixth mainline entry in the franchise and the first installment of the World of Assassination trilogy.
• The game was released episodically from March to October 2016 on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
• Square Enix divested from developer IO Interactive in May 2017 due to the commercial underperformance of the game.
• The Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy concluded with the release of Hitman 3 in January 2021.
• In January 2023, the original Hitman was delisted after its contents were made free for owners of Hitman 3, which was rebranded as Hitman: World of Assassination.