'Hitman 2' Release Date Officially Set for November 13

Welcome back, Agent 47. IO Interactive and WB Games officially announced Hitman 2 on Thursday. The game is set to release on November 13, 2018.

Rumors about Hitman 2’s imminent release spread on June 5 after WB Games teased a major announcement and fans found a logo for the game on the company’s website. WB Games officially confirmed the title on a livestream earlier today followed by a tweet of the new trailer.

The trailer features Agent 47 on assignment at a race track in Miami and details the many ways he can kill his target. Sean Bean narrates over the video, which depicts 47 disguising himself as a member of a pit crew, poisoning a security guard, and sniping from afar on a tall rooftop. And, yes, these cheeky bastards got Sean Bean to voiceover a trailer for a game about a contract killer.

Things are going to be a bit different this time around. Hitman 2 features a multiplayer co-op sniper mode, which is already available with a pre-order. Hitman 2016 was released in episodes, but Hitman 2 will be a full title on launch.

The game is also available in three tiers — standard, silver, and gold. The silver and gold editions mention expansions to the game, meaning it will probably have paid DLC. Before you complain, this is probably a good thing. The episodic format of Hitman 2016 made for some really intricate maps, but it also made the game light on story.

It seems that the move to release Hitman 2 in a more traditional format could have been motivated by both financial and narrative concerns. The game promises to expand upon on the Shadow Client, the villain in the previous game who has a mysterious connection to Agent 47.

Personally, as a longtime fan of the franchise, I’m just looking forward to more missions where I can disguise myself as the most intimidating burger cook in the world.