IO Interactive’s plans to permit PC gamers of Hitman 3 the “seamless” importation of Hitman and Hitman 2 into the brand new sport has hit a snag.

Hitman 2 stays unavailable on the Epic Sport Retailer, the place Hitman 3 will probably be supplied solely for the yr following its launch Jan. 20. That sport is just accessible on Steam. “As a consequence of numerous circumstances out of our management,” says IO, it’s unimaginable for PC homeowners of each video games to hyperlink them up and produce their areas into Hitman 3 as meant.

However IO Interactive has supplied a workaround, type of, for the 2 weeks following Hitman 3’s launch.

• First, the Hitman 1 GOTY Entry Go will probably be accessible, free, for anybody who owns Hitman 3 on Epic Video games Retailer. This move will probably be made accessible for the primary 10 days after launch to those that purchase (or pre-order) Hitman 3.
• Subsequent, homeowners of Hitman on Epic Video games Retailer — together with those that picked the sport up totally free when it was accessible in August — get a free Hitman 1 GOTY Entry Go upon shopping for Hitman 3.
• Then, the Hitman 2 Normal and Gold Entry Passes will probably be supplied at 80 % off for the 14 days after Hitman 3’s launch on Epic Video games Retailer, “and can proceed to be discounted commonly.” IO Interactive has but to cost the entry passes, which ship Hitman and Hitman 2’s content material into the third sport.

In August, when IO announced the timed exclusive to Epic Video games Retailer for Hitman 3, the studio stated that PC gamers would be capable of “import areas from the earlier two video games into Hitman 3 on Epic Video games Retailer.” That ended up being true on all platforms — however the import is free on consoles, and prices cash on PC.

That’s as a result of gamers should import their ranges from Hitman 1 into Hitman 2 first. On PlayStation 4 (and 5) and Xbox One (and Collection X), Hitman 3 will auto-detect whether or not the consumer already owns both previous sport on that platform, and permit them to obtain their ranges from Hitman 3’s in-game retailer. As a result of Hitman 2 isn’t on Epic Video games Retailer, that course of doesn’t work for PC gamers.

As for carrying ahead their progress from Hitman and Hitman 2, that’s achieved by an IO Interactive web site, and isn’t affected by Hitman 2’s unavailability on EGS.

On ResetEra, upset clients and followers stated they might both file for refunds and/or wait the yr out till Hitman 3 launches on Steam.

“I’d simply been weighing up whether or not or to not chew the bullet and purchase it on Epic,” wrote one. “Guess I really will probably be ready till it hits Steam subsequent yr. It’s a disgrace as a result of it actually regarded good, however I’m not rebuying all of the stuff I already personal.”

Polygon has reached out to an IO consultant for extra perception on how a lot this can price, and extra remark in regards to the snafu. Because it stands now, gamers who already personal Hitman and Hitman 2 on Steam nonetheless must pay for Hitman 2’s ranges to be able to unlock every thing in Hitman 3 on Epic Video games Retailer.