For years, the Hitman franchise has fascinated as much as it has intrigued. And just when we thought the hitman in a suit and tie was on break, now the CEO of IO Interactive is relaunching the speculation with some meaningful words. A future Hitman seems to be taking shape, without yet being officially announced.
It was during an interview with the Variety site that Hakan Abrak, CEO of the Danish studio IO Interactive, gave a glimpse of the future of the series. In full promotion of 007: First Light, the boss slipped in a few evocative words about Agent 47 and his future contracts.
IO Interactive: a studio between two universes
In recent years, IO Interactive has not been idle. After the success of Hitman 3renamed World of Assassination in 2023, the studio continued with the development of 007: First Light. Scheduled for March 2026, this project marks an exception for IO Interactive: “This is probably the only intellectual property we will work on externally that does not belong to us.”
This project centered on the universe of James Bond has not, however, relegated Hitman to oblivion. Quite the contrary. The CEO assures him: “Of course, there will be a next hitman.”
A cooperative mode in 2026 before a full sequel
Before thinking about a numbered sequel, the studio seems to want to enrich World of Assassination. According to Hakan Abrak, a new game mode should see the light of day next year: “Next year you will have more information about the cooperative mode of ‘Hitman’, because I think it is an excellent expansion of the universe, which will introduce very interesting mechanics and combinations in ‘World of Assassination’.”
The cooperative mode would thus extend the multiplayer experience timidly initiated in previous opuses, with the ambition of opening up new tactical possibilities between players.
Hitman 4: an expected but still unclear sequel
Although he never used the words “Hitman 4”, Hakan Abrak still set the tone: “After that, we will talk about the next ‘Hitman’ — because, obviously, there will be a next ‘Hitman’.”
Fans can therefore expect a new iteration, although there are no details yet to confirm whether it will be a complete new opus or an evolution of World of Assassination. There is also nothing to know if the future version will integrate the old maps, offer a completely new engine, or if the sandbox approach will be retained.
Eminem, the surprise guest in the World of Assassination
Even before this future arrives HitmanIO Interactive continues to evolve its current game. The studio announced the participation of rapper Eminem in a special mission planned for 2025. A way of capitalizing on celebrity cameos, already well exploited since 2023, and attracting an even wider audience.
This type of content confirms that while waiting for a formal sequel, the license continues to live and reinvent itself through event-driven additions. IO Interactive seems to be playing on two fronts: keeping fans waiting with new content while preparing the ground for an official announcement of Hitman 4 in the coming months.