Q: What should I buy, what do the different editions mean?

A: You can buy any combination of DLC you like, but to compete at the top level with other runs, you will want to buy the HITMAN GOTY Edition or HITMAN Definitive Edition. HITMAN Complete First Season is also alright but you may be missing some DLC items and some bonus missions, if you wish to speedrun those.

Q: Do I need to be connected to the Internet at all times to speedrun this game?

A: For Silent Assassin runs, yes for the most part. If you are on PC, you can try Peacock to bypass IOI's servers. You will need to be connected to Internet for the initial connection, but afterwards you can play offline for the duration of your play session using Peacock. Using either Peacock or connecting to the official servers is required for Silent Assassin runs, as you cannot get to an accurate rating screen otherwise.

Playing offline and without Peacock is allowed for any%, provided you have the in game timer HUD on.

Q: I don't want to unlock stuff before I speedrun, where is the "New Game"/ "Fresh file" category?

A: The main leaderboards are NG+ by default.

• There is no "New Game" category because you can only reset your progress via IOI's website every 6 months per account, and it can be very annoying to create new accounts via family sharing over and over.
• You can submit to the very similar "Default" category, that forbids any unlocks or NG+ features, here: https://www.speedrun.com/hitman_2016_extensions

Q: Okay, say I'm willing to try the NG+ categories, how do I level up quickly to get the item and starting location unlocks?

A: First of all, if you are PC, consider using Peacock. This tool will allow you to get access to all unlocks right away.

Next, take a look at this list of unlocks, so you know what you need to do to get a certain item.

• In general, to level up mastery you should first try to get SASO and Sniper Assassin done first, as you can get many challenges done in one run. Note that for the most part, any other challenge besides SASO and Sniper Assassin do not require you to finish the level to get XP.
• Thus, for other challenges, the most efficient way to get XP is to make a save right before critical points in a run, such as after you have a target isolated. Then you can load the save multiple times to complete multiple challenges. Note that unlike HITMAN 2/3, just playing the game normally does not award mastery XP, only challenges do.

Q: What are the optimal in-game settings to run the game?

A: Turn on Timer HUD (helps for timing certain kills and for verification purposes), Difficulty HUD (for professional mode). It is also helpful to keep the map and status messages enabled. Level of Detail may need to be adjusted for distance shots and such.

Q: How do I set up livesplit for full game runs?

A: We use in game time for this game, so you should consider using Livesplit Manual Game Time to enter in the in game time for each level manually. Be sure to read the rules for Full Game leaderboard carefully first as well.

Q: I am having trouble with X trick/ have a question about the leaderboard rules, can anyone help me?

A: Consider asking in Hitman Runs Server or Frotes Speedrun Community. For more general advice, you can also consider looking at the other guides. For questions about the rules, you can either ask in the above Discord servers, or contact a moderator directly (go to Profile -> Message, or use the moderator's social media).