It would appear that the next Hitman game will in fact be Hitman 2, a presumed sequel to Agent 47’s 2016 episodic game. The game’s logo was uncovered on a Warner Bros. Interactive teaser site, all but confirming that IO Interactive and Warner Bros. plan on unveiling the sequel on June 7.
Hitman 2 logo leaked on WB Games teaser site https://t.co/J0TpT5M5L1 pic.twitter.com/15akEA8o4H
— Wario64 (@Wario64) June 4, 2018
Why June 7? Well, shortly before Wario64 shared the image, the official Hitman Twitter account posted a teaser video that mentions Agent 47’s “next target.” A blurry image of what appears to be another bald man is visible in the background, and a June 7 date is listed for when the information will be revealed.
Clever Reddit users noticed that game publisher Warner Bros. Interactive posted a similar teaser on its own Twitter account, with a countdown that will end on June 7. The video shows mechanics working on a race car, but it uses a remarkably similar font to that of the Hitman box. A logo for a fictional oil company from the games is also visible.
While we’ll likely have to wait until Warner Bros. pre-E3 event later this week for official confirmation, it’s now clear that IO Interactive has shifted its focus to a sequel. Although its been more than two years since Hitman launched, the developers have supported the game with new content ever since, giving the most eager of assassins targets to eliminate long after the end credits rolled.
If the leak is genuine, this will be the first brand-new Hitman game published by Warner Bros. Originally published by Square Enix, Warner Bros. partnered with IO Interactive to release Hitman: Definitive Edition, which bundled together all the game’s previous content and bonus missions together with extra outfits and weapons. A proper follow-up makes sense at this point. We’re curious to see if Hitman 2 would retain its predecessor’s episodic model, which worked surprisingly well the first time around.
Many of Warner Bros. Interactive’s other projects are currently mysteries. We know the publisher is releasing Lego The Incredibles in June and Lego DC Super-Villains later this year, and Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon strongly hinted that a new game will be coming in 2018,. It has been several years since Rocksteady released Batman: Arkham Knight, so the studio is likely getting ready to announce a new game as well, but it remains to be seen if it will have anything to do with the DC Universe or comics.
The other game Warner Bros. Interactive is publishing — Harry Potter: Wizards Unite — could turn out to be a huge hit. Developed by Pokémon Go studio Niantic, it combines that game’s augmented reality adventuring with the spells and beasts introduced in the book series. We’re just hoping it will be a little more full-featured than Pokémon Go was at launch.
Updated: Added info on “Hitman 2” logo leak.