Hitman Elusive Targets
The latest Elusive Target is live in Hitman World of Assassination, and it’s focused on Finn Colton/Finnvictus, a content creator character played by Sean ‘Jacksepticeye’ McLoughlin. This is the first time IO Interactive has worked with an online personality. Previously, the Elusive Targets that Agent 47 has been hunting have been based on movie stars or musicians. We’ve seen the likes of Snoop Dogg and Eminem appear in the game, but Jacksepticeye’s inclusion makes a lot of sense.
Since Seán McLoughlin’s content has featured Hitman in the past, his fans are familiar with what to expect from the series. They understand the flow of the game and how these celebrities fit into the action. I spoke to Jen Simpkins, a writer on the mission, about how closely they worked with McLoughlin, and whether IO would like to work with more creators in the future.
As you might expect, Jacksepticeye was more involved in the process of creating the Finn Colton character than other celebs have been in theirs. “Seán actually visited our Brighton office to jam on the level and the character with us, which was really fantastic,” Simpkins said. “He immediately understood the idea for Finn – pretty much an amalgamation of all the scariest types of ‘content creator’ out there – and even said, ‘I trust you guys, be as outrageous as you like!”
IO was able to spend time with Jacksepticeye to figure out what the character looked like in the early days of development. “He was really willing to help us dig into the idea of the latent horror of the content creation space, and had a lot of valuable insights that helped us elevate the level. The tones when the cameras turn on and off in the level were Seán’s idea,” Simpkins said.
That collaborative approach helped IO create an Elusive Target that both fit with the over-the-top world of Hitman, but also felt authentic. McLoughlin’s knowledge of the game really helped that creation process.
I think online celebrities could be a great source of inspiration for Elusive Targets going forward, and IO agrees. “The internet is a weird place full of fascinating characters to take inspiration from, so it’s a big yes from me,” Simpkins said.
I’m struggling to narrow down exactly who I’d like to see make an appearance in the game, and everyone has different content creators they follow, but it’ll be important that they’re familiar with the game and can work closely with IO on their character. Maybe we could see Rhett and Link from Good Mythical Morning making unsuspecting NPCs eat weird stuff in a menacing way.