Hitman 3 speedrunners have worked out how to beat the game's first level in just nine seconds.
As verified by speedrun.com (via PCGamesN), two speedrunners have managed to complete the first mission, set within a skyscraper in Dubai, within that timeframe. Starting from the building's main lobby, Wreak and Der_Lauch_Linus sprint forward to a spot in which, for a brief moment, you can see both of the level's targets on the balconies above.
A couple of quick headshots with Agent 47's signature silenced pistol is enough to pick off both bad guys without raising too much commotion. Their quarries down, both speedrunners turn on their heels and leave the level via a nearby elevator, resulting in a final time of only nine seconds. According to Der_Lauch_Linus, that time might be "a perfect run," but the speedrunner also says "maybe eight seconds is possible, I don't know."
For those attempting an even stealthier approach, the record for a Silent Assassin rating - one which involves picking off both targets without either Agent 47 or their bodies being detected - is 16 seconds, something that three runners have achieved. Most players would expect to take a good hour trying to figure out their way around this level.
After a tricky launch in which servers went down and PC players struggled to bring their progress over from previous games, Hitman 3 appears to have bounced back. If, as the speedrunners suggest, nine seconds isn't a hard limit, I'm looking forward to seeing what else the community can come up with.
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