History Trivia / HitmanAbsolution

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: In 2018, Contracts mode is shut down, and is completely absent in the ''Hitman HD Enchanted Collection'' for legal reasons: IOI doesn't own the servers that ran the last-gen versions, and they don't have the resources to make it comply with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. This means that half of the original game is simply not there, thus neutering the weapon and disguise CollectionSidequest, since you can't actually use them outside of Contracts mode like before.

* ExecutiveMeddling: This is the reason why there was such a long gap between ''Blood Money'' and ''Absolution''. Apparently the developers started work on a new game for release in 2009 or 2010, but Eidos decided that the ''VideoGame/KaneAndLynch'' franchise (also developed by IO Interactive) was going to be the next big thing (spoiler: it wasn't) and ordered them to produce a sequel to that game instead. Square Enix, on the other hand, were far less enamored with ''Kane and Lynch'', and upon buying out Eidos they put that franchise out to pasture and let IO get back to its flagship series.

** 47's European French voice from ''[[VideoGame/Hitman2SilentAssassin Silent Assassin]]'', ''[[VideoGame/HitmanContracts Contracts]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Blood Money]]'', Creator/PhilippeDumond, was replaced by Jérémie Covillault. Oddly enough, Dumond was still in ''Absolution'', as the voice of Blake Dexter.

* PlayingAgainstType: Very apparent in the Japanese dub: Victoria is voiced by Creator/AyanaTaketatsu, a voice actress well-known for voicing sweet, cute girls like [[Manga/KOn Azusa Nakano]] or [[LightNovel/OreImo Kirino Kousaka]]. Victoria is anything but sweet.

** [=LaSandra=] Dixon, leader of the Saints is voiced by Vivica A. Fox.
** Benjamin Travis is voiced by Powers Boothe.
** Jade is voiced by Shannyn Sossamon.

* OldShame: While IO haven't completely disowned the game, it's apparent from retrospective discussions about it that they believe the game could and should have been better than the controversial sequel that it was.

** For ''Absolution'', the original voice actress for Diana (Vivienne [=McKee=]) was replaced by Marsha Thomason (best known for her roles on ''{{Series/Lost}}'' and ''Series/WhiteCollar'').
** Narrowly averted for Agent 47 himself in English language - in previews, IO revealed that 47's long-time voice actor, Creator/DavidBateson, had been replaced by Creator/WilliamMapother (Creator/TomCruise's cousin). Following ''many'' fans protesting/begging/[[BreadEggsBreadedEggs protesting and begging at the same time]], Bateson was called back in at the last second and did the voice work again in ''Absolution'', though 47's motion capture and face model is still Mapother's in the final product. Funnily enough, 47's attempted recast marked the beginning of a three-year period where [[VideoGame/SplinterCell two]] [[VideoGame/Thief2014 other]] long-running stealth franchises would recast their iconic main characters, with ''Hitman'' being the only one to relent and bring the classic actor back.

* YouSoundFamiliar: In French, Blake Dexter has the same voice actor 47 had from ''VideoGame/Hitman2SilentAssassin'' to ''VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney'': Creator/PhilippeDumond.

** Narrowly averted for Agent 47 himself in English language - in previews, IO revealed that 47's long-time voice actor, Creator/DavidBateson, had been replaced by William Mapother. Following ''many'' fans protesting/begging/[[BreadEggsBreadedEggs protesting and begging at the same time]], Bateson was called back in at the last second and did the voice work again in ''Absolution'', though 47's motion capture and face model is still Mapother's in the final product. Funnily enough, 47's attempted recast marked the beginning of a three-year period where [[VideoGame/SplinterCell two]] [[VideoGame/Thief2014 other]] long-running stealth franchises would recast their iconic main characters, with ''Hitman'' being the only one to relent and bring the classic actor back.

** 47's voice from ''[[VideoGame/Hitman2SilentAssassin Silent Assassin]]'', ''[[VideoGame/HitmanContracts Contracts]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Blood Money]]'', Creator/PhilippeDumond, was replaced by Jérémie Covillault. Oddly enough, Dumond was still in ''Absolution'', as the voice of Blake Dexter.

** Narrowly averted for Agent 47 himself - in previews, IO revealed that 47's long-time voice actor, David Bateson, had been replaced by William Mapother. Following ''many'' fans protesting/begging/[[BreadEggsBreadedEggs protesting and begging at the same time]], Bateson was called back in at the last second and did the voice work again in ''Absolution'', though 47's motion capture and face model is still Mapother's in the final product. Funnily enough, 47's attempted recast marked the beginning of a three-year period where [[VideoGame/SplinterCell two]] [[VideoGame/Thief2014 other]] long-running stealth franchises would recast their iconic main characters, with ''Hitman'' being the only one to relent and bring the classic actor back.

* NamesTheSame: The villain Jade Nguyen shares her name with the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' villain whose code name is Cheshire.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The ''Hitman HD Enchanted Collection'' version of the game both [[PolishedPort looks and runs better]], but Contracts mode is completely absent for legal reasons: IOI doesn't own the servers that ran the last-gen versions. This means that half of the original game is simply not there, thus neutering the weapon and disguise CollectionSidequest, since you can't actually use them in Contracts mode like before.

** Traci Lords voices Layla. Evidently, her voice work impressed IO enough that she returned in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'' as Maya Parvati.