IO Interactive announce Hitman: Absolution pre-order bonus in the form of Hitman: Sniper Challenge

Square-Enix and IO Interactive have revealed, an up coming standalone DLC Hitman game that will be only available when you pre-order Hitman: Absolution.

Although details of the offer were leaked earlier this week, via an advert in US magazine Game Informer, (at the time, the exact nature of the package/game wasn’t clear) yesterday Square-Enix revealed that customers who pre-order the title from a participating retailer will receive a code allowing them to immediately download Sniper Challenge from the official Hitman Sniper site. The offer begins on the 15th of May for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners and the 1st of August on PC.

We reached out to the publisher and Square-Enix confirmed that Sniper Challenge is an utterly separate entity from Absolution – it’s not a prequel, and does not contain similar story elements. And there are no plans to make the mini-game more widely available after the release of Absolution.

Check out the debut Sniper Challenge trailer below, as well as a the press details:

From a balcony overlooking a roof-top party, you are tasked with taking out Richard Strong, Jr., CEO of Stallion Armaments, along with his entire staff of bodyguards. Skilled players will capitalize on score multipliers, discover secret extras, unlock equipment upgrades, and marvel at the many creative ways one can discretely dispose of a body while they work to fulfil their contract in the most efficient way possible.

The high-powered Kazo TRG sniper rifle and a host of other upgrades can be unlocked and carried over into HITMAN: ABSOLUTION. Also an online leader board will allow players to compare their sniping abilities with players around the world, supported by various challenges to determine who has the best sniping skills. Keep an eye on www.Hitmansniper.com for more details.