As the gaming community looks forward to the release of IO Interactive’s new James Bond title, 007 First Light, which is scheduled for May, and also marks the fifth anniversary of Hitman 3, there is exciting news for Hitman fans. The popular game, Hitman: World of Assassination, is finally introducing a cross-progression feature that many players have been waiting for.
Many of us anticipated this update would eventually arrive, particularly after the Nintendo Switch 2 port was released last year. With additional content planned for this year, the timing seemed right. However, with everyone focused on the upcoming James Bond game, the exact arrival date of this feature was a surprise. On January 20th, IO Interactive officially confirmed that the cross-progression support will go live starting February 3rd. Alongside this, they announced a fresh, new design for the IOI Account service that is available today on both web browsers and mobile devices.
A comprehensive guide explaining how cross-progression works, including a list of frequently asked questions, has been shared. The main point of the announcement is that players will be able to take their progress in Hitman: World of Assassination—which combines Hitman 1, 2, and 3 into one package—with them no matter which device they are playing on. For instance, you could start a mission on your PC at home, then continue your gameplay on a PS5 in the living room, and later pick up where you left off on the Switch 2 while traveling, provided you have an internet connection.
IO Interactive also mentioned that a Steam patch, identified as version 3.250.1, will be released next week. This patch is necessary to ensure that the new cross-progression system functions correctly. When players log into their IOI Account, they will need to select a ‘primary platform.’ The other devices they use will then follow the progress from this main account. It is important to note that game licenses, DLC purchases, and unlocks associated with downloadable content are not shared between platforms. This means you must own the required content on every device where you wish to use cross-progression. While this has always been the standard for such features, it is helpful to remind players of these limitations.
Regarding the actual save files, IO Interactive has specified that ‘old save games created on a non-primary linked account will not be loadable while Cross-Progression is active.’ To summarize, the system will only recognize save files that are tied to the IOI Account. Therefore, it is highly recommended to ensure that all game data is properly updated and connected to your account if you plan to use this new feature.
As an additional note, IO Interactive has reminded players that the process for carrying over progress from Hitman 2 to Hitman 3 will close on February 3rd. After this date, all progress will be locked into the latest version of the three-part sandbox game. The developer’s approach to managing progression and upgrades has historically been somewhat complex, often leading to confusion among players. It makes sense that the development team is being extra cautious and thorough before rolling out this major update.
If you are waiting for news regarding the future of the Hitman series, IO Interactive has not been shy about teasing that there are plans in place. However, do not expect any official reveals until after the release of the co-op mode for World of Assassination and the launch of 007 First Light.
