- Hitman World of Assassination senior level designer Marin Ansdal says Elusive Target celebrities are chosen before the level design and writing phase
- Ansdal says it's IO Interactive's "goal" to "bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination"
- Ansdal adds that the Elusive Target mission location always needs to "thematically" suit the main talent
IO Interactive has revealed the behind-the-scenes process for selecting Hitman World of Assassination's Elusive Targets and how it designs their special missions.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming following the release of the game's new 'The Host feat. JackSepticEye' - Elusive Target mission, senior level designer Marin Ansdal explained that IOI's marketing department is in charge of the talent selection and outreach process, and the level isn't designed until after they're signed.
"Their goal is to bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination as well as serve the core audience to create special missions that will make use of the talent’s persona, and adapt it to the setting of Hitman World of Assassination," Ansdal said.
Ansdal continued, explaining that the level designer and writer take over once a celebrity or public figure is on board, and "We try to find a location which thematically suits the talent and craft a story that synergizes with the talent in tone and genre."
World of Assassination has featured a variety of guests over the years, including Snoop Dogg, Sean Bean, Eminem, Milla Jovovich, and more, and IOI considers how Agent 47 can slip into these uniquely designed missions.
"47's preference for disguises allows him to jump into a wide range of genres," Ansdal said. "For example, when we worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme, we built a kitchy science fiction narrative about a super-soldier cloning facility which would fit straight into the direct to video bin in the 90s.
"And when we worked with Mads Mikkelsen, we essentially brought 47 into the iconic plot of a Bond storyline."
With the latest Elusive Target starring YouTuber and streamer JackSepticEye, the developer explained that "we crafted a psychological thriller about the darkness of internet celebrity," which "is much more contemporary in comparison to the other two examples."
Hitman World of Assassination's new The Host Elusive Target mission is free-to-play now until November 25.
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