Developer IO Interactive has confirmed that every celebrity and public figure featured as an Elusive Target in Hitman World of Assassination is built entirely from scratch through bespoke artistic craftsmanship, deliberately eschewing modern industry shortcuts such as photogrammetry or 3D face scanning.
The revelation sheds light on the painstaking development practices behind one of modern gaming’s most popular live-service experiences. While many contemporary studios rely on automated capture technology to digitize real-world likenesses quickly, the team behind Agent 47 continues to lean into traditional artistry. This hands-on approach ensures that digital avatars of notable personalities—ranging from actors and musicians to prominent internet creators like the recent addition JackSepticEye in the mission The Host—maintain a distinct, game-appropriate identity that blends realism with subtle caricature.
The Anatomy of an Elusive Target: Rejecting Automation for Artistry
In the fast-paced landscape of modern game development, automated scanning and motion capture have become the gold standard for rendering realistic human models. However, senior level designer Marin Ansdal explained that IO Interactive approaches the creation of Elusive Targets with a philosophy rooted in traditional craftsmanship.
According to Ansdal, the process bypasses technological scans entirely. Instead, each character begins with a hand-drawn concept before being meticulously modeled and textured by a dedicated character artist. This workflow allows the studio to navigate the uncanny valley by intentionally exaggerating certain features to capture a person’s essence rather than just their raw geometry.
"Oftentimes, a great likeness is knowing when to supplement realism with caricature," Ansdal noted. "This is a balance a real character artist can strike in a way that a scan just can’t."
Junior concept and character artist Lovisa Österman elaborated on the meticulous nature of this pipeline, highlighting the sheer volume of observation required before a single polygon is manipulated. Österman revealed that she spends hours analyzing video footage and high-resolution photographs of the subject from every conceivable angle.
The true challenge, according to Österman, lies in capturing the intricate micro-details that human brains rely on to recognize a familiar face. Even if a 3D mesh is geometrically accurate, the model can feel lifeless without precise texturing. Reproducing specific skin tones, freckles, blemishes, and distinctive expressions is what ultimately bridges the gap between an anonymous NPC and a recognizable celebrity.
From Concept to Contract: The Elusive Target Lifecycle
The introduction of celebrity Elusive Targets has been a staple of IO Interactive’s post-launch strategy since the release of Hitman (2016). Over the years, the studio has collaborated with high-profile names, most notably actor Sean Bean, who portrayed the game’s very first Elusive Target, "The Undying," back in 2018. Subsequent iterations have featured professional DJ Dimitri Vegas, professional sports figures, and popular content creators, gradually expanding the scope of who can become a mark for Agent 47.
The integration of these public figures into the complex sandbox environments of Hitman World of Assassination follows a strict internal protocol. According to IO Interactive, the talent is selected first. Once a celebrity or public figure agrees to participate, the narrative team and level designers collaborate to determine a fitting location within the game’s sprawling maps—such as Miami, Dubai, or Sapienza—that matches the thematic tone of the guest star.
Following location selection, writers craft a bespoke narrative that synergizes with the public persona of the talent, often injecting satirical elements or playing into tropes associated with the individual. Only then does the visual design team begin the extensive process of building the character model from the ground up, ensuring that the digital recreation feels entirely at home within the rich, dark comedy of the World of Assassination universe.
Industry Implications and the Value of Bespoke Design
IO Interactive’s commitment to manual character modeling stands in stark contrast to broader industry trends, where efficiency and cost-reduction frequently drive development pipelines. As artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automated 3D scanning continue to dominate character creation workflows, the studio’s reliance on human artistry highlights a distinct philosophy regarding player immersion and aesthetic consistency.
While scanning technologies are exceptionally proficient at replicating physical dimensions, critics and developers alike have long noted that scanned assets can occasionally appear sterile or unnatural within stylized video game engines. By utilizing traditional illustration, modeling, and texturing techniques, IO Interactive maintains absolute artistic control over how real-world individuals are translated into the game’s fictional universe. This ensures that the lighting, texture resolution, and anatomical proportions align seamlessly with Agent 47’s existing world, preventing the jarring visual dissonance that sometimes occurs when disparate asset-creation methods collide.
Furthermore, the bespoke approach aligns with the unique gameplay philosophy of Hitman, where targets are designed not merely to be eliminated, but to serve as interactive narrative set-pieces. The painstaking attention to detail poured into each face reinforces the psychological weight of the contract, giving players a heightened sense of engagement when they finally execute a meticulously planned takedown.
Looking Ahead for World of Assassination
As Hitman World of Assassination continues to evolve as a unified platform encompassing content from the entire modern trilogy, IO Interactive’s dedication to live-service support remains strong. Elusive Targets continue to serve as the lifeblood of the game’s community engagement, offering high-stakes, one-shot challenges that encourage player strategy, experimentation, and community discussion.
By maintaining rigorous artistic standards for transient content—missions that players traditionally only get one chance to complete—IO Interactive demonstrates that the studio views even temporary additions as permanent pieces of its creative legacy. As the development team looks toward future updates and potential new projects, including their upcoming James Bond title (Project 007), the meticulous craftsmanship highlighted by the Elusive Target team serves as a testament to the enduring value of human artistry in an increasingly automated gaming landscape.
