Update: A short time after Epic CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the company was looking into the issue, IO provided an update and, while it did not have an immediate solution, assured "Hitman 2" owners that they could import levels from that title into "Hitman 3" for free He stated that they are now able to do so. How this will work is not yet known. It appears that there will be a happy ending.

Original story based on old information is below.

Original story In August 2020, prior to the pre-order launch of "Hitman 3," IO Interactive stated that players could import progressions and unlocks from "Hitman 2" as well as locations from the first two games at no extra charge.PC players will be able to import "Hitman Man 3 on a different PC platform while continuing to enjoy the benefits of World of Assassination, a seamless process," the studio promised.

This statement was intended to reassure players that by making "Hitman 3" exclusive to the Epic Games Store, which does not carry "Hitman 2," there would be no problem for players who want to organically continue their career as a high-flying assassin from one game to the next. The intent seemed to be to give them that. Today, however, IO changed all that in a pre-launch guide, stating that "Hitman 2" locations will only be available to PC players who have purchased a separately sold access pack.

Progressions will carry over as expected, but must be done through a separate website before "Hitman 3" is released." After the carryover process is completed, Hitman 2 players will have their existing player profile, XP rank, location mastery level, location mastery unlock, challenge progression, challenge unlock, and elusive target suit/unlock. You can start Hitman 3. All of these are called "progressions." You cannot pick and choose elements and carry them over. It's all or nothing.

There are some limitations: you can only import from "Hitman 2," but progressions in the "Legacy Pack" that add "Hitman 1" locations to "Hitman 2" also count. Carryover is a one-time event; if you start a campaign for "Hitman 3" and then carry over your progress, any progress earned in the first campaign will be erased. All in all, it is fairly straightforward.

However, the actual locations of the previous films are another matter. Content from the first two games was released as Access Pass DLC for "Hitman 3" and can be purchased separately or obtained for free "if you have already purchased that content in the same store where you pre-ordered and purchased "Hitman 3"".

This "same store" requirement is problematic: anyone who pre-ordered Hitman 3 at the Epic Store or purchased it within 10 days of its release will get the Hitman 1 Game of the Year Access Pass at no additional charge. In addition, those who already own Hitman: The Complete First Season on EGS will receive a free Access Pass regardless of when they purchased Hitman 3.

However, since "Hitman 2" is not available on the Epic Store, and despite IO's previous commitments, the access pass will not be free for PC players.

"We have done everything possible to ensure that this process is smooth and player-friendly. However, we want to recognize that due to various circumstances beyond our control, this is a different process than originally planned for PC players."

The difficulty appears to stem from the process that Hitman 3 uses to determine who is eligible for the free access pass; this process is not possible because the game does not exist on the Epic Store, and Hitman 3 players will need to purchase the access pass separately.

To compensate for this, IO Interactive will be offering an 80% discount for the first 14 days following the launch of Hitman 3 on the Standard Access Pass and Gold Access Pass for Hitman 2 (the Gold Access Pass includes the New York and Haven Island locations, plus a bonus Sniper Assassin Map and Special Assignment) at 80% off. Pricing for the Access Pass has not yet been announced.

Reaction to this last-minute change of plans has been poor: threads on Reddit and Resetera are filled with frustrated comments, and replies to the Twitter launch countdown are predictable.

We have contacted IO Interactive for more information on the sudden change and the price of the access pass and will update if we hear back.