IO Interactive has acknowledged significant performance issues affecting the Nintendo Switch 2 launch version of Hitman: World of Assassination – Signature Edition.
As one of the key third-party titles meant to showcase the new console`s capability for handling graphically demanding current-generation games, the port has drawn considerable criticism for its numerous technical shortcomings. Our own impressions highlighted that the uncapped frame rate led to “uneven” and “wildly fluctuating” performance. Interestingly, this was found to be somewhat less noticeable in handheld mode, attributed to the display`s support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).
Speaking in an interview with VGC, IO`s franchise director Jonathan Lacaille directly addressed these problems. He stated, “The team is working on some of those performance issues right now, and they are addressing it over the summer.” A specific timeline for when these planned fixes will become available has not yet been announced.
Lacaille also took the opportunity to alleviate concerns regarding their upcoming title, 007 First Light, which is being developed for the Switch 2 alongside more powerful platforms.
He commented, “It’s, of course, good learning for us to bring to First Light as well – so all of this will be learnings we bring to the next title.”
While previous Hitman installments appeared on the original Switch (via a cloud version of Hitman 3 and a port of Blood Money), Lacaille confidently affirmed that the Switch 2 is “a powerful device – powerful enough for us to bring First Light to it natively.”
The technical troubles of the Hitman port on Switch 2 aren`t the only recent issues tied to IO Interactive`s releases (in a publishing capacity). The company also published MindsEye, developed by Build A Rocket Boy, which has been critically panned as one of the worst games of the year, experiencing such severe performance issues that some PlayStation 5 players reportedly received refunds from the PlayStation Store.