The Hitman: Absolution Switch 2 upgrade is free right now, but only until November 4. Feral Interactive released Hitman: Absolution – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on October 22, and anyone who owns the original Switch version can grab the Upgrade Pack from the eShop for $0. From November 5, the same pack costs $9.99 / £4.99 / €4.99.
If you don’t own the game yet, the Switch 2 Edition is on a launch price of $29.99 / £19.99 / €24.99 until the same date, then goes up to $39.99 / £24.99 / €29.99, according to Feral’s launch post. Prices below were checked on the US eShop on October 24, 05:40 UTC.
The Chinatown level on Switch 2, which Feral says now runs at a higher resolution. Image: Feral Interactive / IO Interactive
Table of Contents
Hitman: Absolution Switch 2 upgrade price and deadline
| What you buy | Until Nov 4 | From Nov 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade Pack (you own the Switch 1 game) | Free | $9.99 / £4.99 / €4.99 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (new players) | $29.99 / £19.99 / €24.99 | $39.99 / £24.99 / €29.99 |
| Switch 1 version (US eShop) | $29.99 | $29.99 |
Feral hasn’t published an exact cut-off time for the free pack. The US eShop listing shows the Switch 2 Edition’s launch price ending at 11:59 p.m. PT on November 4 (07:59 UTC on November 5), which matches the “until November 4” wording. To be safe, claim the pack before November 4 ends where you live.
A quick bit of maths for newcomers: until the deadline, the Switch 2 Edition costs the same $29.99 as the Switch 1 version. After it, buying the Switch 1 game and paying for the pack adds up to $39.98, about the same as the full Switch 2 Edition. So the real saving only exists until November 4.
How to claim the free upgrade
- Sign in on your Switch 2 with the Nintendo Account that bought Hitman: Absolution on Switch 1.
- Open the Nintendo eShop and find the Hitman: Absolution Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack. It is listed at $0.00 on the US store.
- Confirm the free purchase and let it download. Nintendo’s listing data puts the pack at under 100 MB, because it works with the game data you already have installed.
Feral’s own advice to anyone on the fence: buy the Switch 1 version now and you can still upgrade for free, as long as you do it by November 4. That was the pitch in its October 15 post on X, and its launch-day post repeats the November 4 deadline.
What the Switch 2 Edition changes
The store page and Feral’s announcement list the same upgrades:
- Higher output resolution in both handheld and TV mode.
- Frame rate improvements in handheld mode, up to 60 fps.
- Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for aiming.
- Better animations and effects in the busiest scenes.
- Improved level of detail for distant objects, plus better shadows and texture filtering.
Note the wording: Feral names a 60 fps target for handheld mode only and doesn’t give TV-mode frame rate figures. Contracts mode, the player-made challenge mode that Feral added to the Switch 1 version in a free June update, is there from day one with cross-platform leaderboards.
Contracts mode lets players set up to three targets and share the challenge online. Image: Feral Interactive / IO Interactive
Is it worth it?
If you already own Absolution on Switch, yes: it’s free, it’s small, and mouse aiming suits a stealth game built around careful shots. If you’re new to the series, know that Absolution is the most linear, story-led entry (Nintendo Life’s review of the Switch port called it “the series’ black sheep”). It’s worth your time if you like cinematic set pieces. Players who want the open sandbox levels the series is known for may prefer HITMAN World of Assassination, which is also on Switch 2. Absolution is rated M by the ESRB.
It joins a busy month of Switch 2 upgrades. Cult of the Lamb’s Switch 2 version arrived on the same day, also with a free upgrade path, and our new Switch 2 games this week list covers the rest of the launches. If you’re shopping anyway, the Screaming Deals eShop sale runs until November 1. For another Switch 2 port that got a sharper image after launch, see The Witcher 3’s Switch 2 patch 5.01.
Physical edition: Limited Run pre-orders
A physical Switch 2 release is coming from Limited Run Games, which says pre-orders open on October 30. Limited Run hasn’t shared the price or editions yet, so wait for its listing.
What’s next
The free upgrade and the $29.99 launch price both end after November 4. Limited Run’s pre-orders open on October 30. Nintendo Life flagged the deadline on October 23, and we’ll update this post if Feral extends it.
Sources: Feral Interactive launch post (Oct 22), Feral Interactive announcement (Oct 15), Nintendo eShop (US), @feralgames, @LimitedRunGames, Nintendo Life.
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Featured image: Feral Interactive / IO Interactive
