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 NG+ runs (more on this later), you will want to buy the Hitman 2 gold edition + GOTY Legacy Pack, or Hitman 2 Standard edition + Expansion Pass + GOTY Legacy Pack. If you owned HITMAN (2016), you may be eligible to redeem the GOTY Legacy Pack for free, more information here: https://www.ioi.dk/hitman-legacy-faq/

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 isn't a true New Game speedrun category due to 2 main factors. Firstly, all progress is stored online, and you can only wipe an account's progress every 6 months through IO's website. Secondly, not all platforms support easy family sharing to make multiple accounts without paying multiple times for the game (and in any case, it would be a pain in the ass to make a new account for each attempt).

• There is a category in Category Extensions that comes close to simulating a New Game experience, you can check the leaderboards here. Click on "Default Loadout/Start" and then click "View Rules" if confused about the rules.
• "Default Loadout/Start" is not a pure NG category, with some minor NG+ categories allowed, but it is pretty close.

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 first, so you know what you need to do to get a certain item.

• In general, to level up mastery you should first get The Classics challenges (SASO, Sniper Assassin) done first, as you can get many challenges done in one run. Note that for the most part, any other challenge besides The Classics 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 the mastery level can take a while to update if you don't finish the mission, go to Career->Mastery from main menu to get a more accurate look at your current mastery level. Note that if you dislike the in game challenges, you technically can get XP just by playing the game normally, it will just take way longer to level up.

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

A: Go to Options> Gameplay. Turn on Difficulty HUD (for verification purposes), Silent Assassin HUD (to see what rating you have at all times), Timer HUD (helps for timing certain kills). For Miami, you may also want to turn Simulation Quality in Graphics Settings to Base, to avoid rendering some racetrack flags.

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 Frotes Speedrun Community or Main Missions Discord. 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).