Play Hitman: Sniper Challenge when you preorder Absolution at GameStop

Today Square Enix formally announced Hitman: Sniper Challenge, a standalone title that gamers will receive immediate access to when they preorder Hitman: Absolution from GameStop starting May 15 for PSN and XBLA and August 1 for Steam/PC.

As Agent 47, players station themselves on a balcony to fulfill an exclusive assignment separate from Absolution. There players must assassinate Richard Strong, Jr. and his entire staff of bodyguards. Earning higher scores will award players unlockable weapon upgrades, which will be carried over to Absolution later, and numerous achievements.

“Hitman: Sniper Challenge sets a new industry standard for preorder incentives,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing at Square Enix. “For all those Hitman fans that just can’t wait to play Hitman: Absolution, they can immediately take part in an exclusive competition featuring the original assassin when they preorder at GameStop.”

The game also features an online leaderboard, where players can compete to win monthly prizes. In North America, the top player at the time of Absolution's launch will win a trip for two to Copenhagen, Denmark to meet with the development team and have their likeness modeled in the next Hitman game.

Hitman: Absolution is scheduled to release on November 20 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

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