Hitman 3 Winter Roadmap outlines what to expect through January

IO Interactive has provided a roadmap for Hitman 3 through January 26.

Yesterday, the Holiday Hoarders event kicked off, sprucing up Paris for the festive period and providing you with two unlocks. The first unlock is Lil’ Flashy, a small robot toy that can help with certain assassinations. The second is an explosive "gift" that doesn't look suspicious in the slightest, so feel free to set it someplace useful.

Playing Holiday Hoarders will also allow you to unlock the Santa Suit for Agent 47, and it's permanent for Hitman 3 players. It will also be available from December 1 to January 5 for Free Starter Pack players.

December 15 will see two batches of Curated Contracts, and the first up is Urben’s second Holiday Special.

The Icon mission will arrive on December 22. With it, you will head to Sapienza at nightfall to a movie set where actor Dino Bosco is taking "one last shot at superstardom." Your job is to end his career. This mission can be played for free from December 22 to January 2.

While in Sapienza, on December 30, you can take on an Elusive Target mission called The Bad Boy. The target is a former musician-turned-gangster who hiding out from the police. This scenario brings a different challenge to The Icon.

On January 5, the Hokkaido Snow Festival kicks off, during which you can complete the new Ice To Meet You challenge to unlock the ICA 19 Iceballer pistol. You also have the opportunity to unlock the Snow Festival suit, and Free Starter Pack players can enjoy the festival from January 5-26.

Year 2's final Elusive Target, The Forger, will arrive on January 6. Known as Mr.Larin, he was the first Elusive Target ever released back in 2016. It will be the first time you can take him out with a Shashka A33 Gold, Iceballer, or the Explosive Christmas Gift. He’ll be in town for ten days.

January 12 will see the second Winter Madness curated contract arrive, and finally, on January 26, the long-awaited Freelancer Mode arrives.

The mode will come alongside a major patch and a free addition for all Hitman 3 owners.

Announced in January 2022, the mode was initially scheduled for release this past spring before being moved to the second half of the year. In October, it was moved to January 2023. IO said the mode was "almost ready," but a few more things to be considered before it launched.

To help matters, the development team hosted a closed technical test for the rogue-like mode last month where it also acted as a stress test for the servers. It also provided an idea of player behavior and was an opportunity for economy and XP balancing in real-life scenarios.

We're assuming the Winter Roadmap will eventually expand due to February being part of the winter months, including March until mid-month. We'll have to wait and see what else is in store for players after 2023 dawns.