Hitman Elusive Target Gave Jacksepticeye Room to Make His Character Nastier

IO Interactive gave YouTuber Seán William McLoughlin, known as Jacksepticeye, unusual latitude when building his Hitman World of Assassination Elusive Target mission, according to senior level designer Martin Ansdal. In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Ansdal said McLoughlin, who plays Finn Colton in 'The Host', allowed the team to take the character in a much darker direction and to design the mission's bespoke elimination methods as it saw fit.

Ansdal described McLoughlin as enthusiastic about appearing in a series he grew up with. The developer said the YouTuber did not ask for a softer portrayal; instead, he encouraged the team to push the character further. Ansdal contrasted that with celebrities who can be uneasy about seeing themselves represented in a game.

The collaboration began early. Ansdal said members of the team travelled to the Brighton office to meet McLoughlin while the mission was still in development, which gave him more opportunity to contribute to its design. One specific detail he suggested, according to the developer, was the sound made by content-creator cameras when they are activated remotely.

Ansdal also described a scene in which Colton watches old audition tapes while engaging in the appearance-focused practice the source calls 'looksmaxxing'. The sequence required McLoughlin to voice-act as a child. The developer said the recording session was amusing behind the scenes, even though the finished scene is grim.

For Hitman's Elusive Target missions, Ansdal said level design and writing work together. Each mission needs a branching story, several creative ways to eliminate the target and a large amount of ambient dialogue so that players can approach objectives freely and replay the mission. He noted that celebrity recording time is usually limited to a single session, which means the script has to be tightly optimized and supporting cast members fill any gaps. In this case, McLoughlin's early involvement gave him more input than usual, Ansdal said.

The developer also praised McLoughlin's performance, saying he was impressed given that the YouTuber is not a traditional actor. Ansdal said McLoughlin's affable on-camera presence is itself a kind of performance, and the team tried to bring that quality into the script.

The account is a developer's description of the collaboration, not an independent review of the mission. It does show how celebrity-driven content can shape game production beyond likeness and voice work: in this case, by giving a creator input into design details and by letting him endorse a harsher portrayal. Readers interested in Hitman's celebrity missions should treat the interview as IO Interactive's framing of the process rather than a neutral assessment of the final level.