Hitman 3’s roguelike Freelancer mode moves to January

A closed test is in the works

The new Freelancer mode for Hitman 3 is getting another delay. Agent 47’s new undertaking is now aiming to launch on January 26, 2023.

A new blog from IO Interactive details the roadmap ahead for Hitman 3: Freelancer, in a series it’s calling Road to Freelancer. The Hitman developer plans for several updates between now and January 26, including a closed technical test.

On October 6, a new patch and roadmap will arrive for Hitman 3. Another update on October 27 will have details about when the Hitman 3: Freelancer closed technical test will start and how to get access.

Then, in November, IO plans to host the test. More updates will arrive between then and January 26, when the game mode goes live.

Freelancer was originally planned for earlier this year, but has faced a few delays along the way. Hitman 3 has still been seeing some content roll out though, with its latest location Ambrose Island dropping in July.

A new way to play

The upcoming Freelancer mode is being billed as a roguelike adaptation of the Hitman formula. In it, Agent 47 will have a safehouse and series of contracts to carry out. Loadouts and mission planning can be set up in advance, and equipment can be acquired or lost in the field.

This mode seems like a way to not just test out veteran Hitman players, but to add some interesting wrinkles and challenges to the existing map pool. IO says today that it’s pushed beyond its initial scope for Freelancer to include “almost all locations” from the World of Assassination trilogy on day one. It’s also going to be a free update for Hitman 3 owners.

So if you’ve got Hitman 3 on PC via Steam, you might be able to hop into the Freelancer test. Otherwise, it’s headed to Hitman 3 owners on January 26, 2023.