New Hitman concept art released

Hitman: Absolution may have only released last week, but Square Enix is already preparing for the next entry in the series. Concept art for the next game in the stealth-killing franchise has been released (via Schaffi Games) by Square Enix art director Rasmus Poulsen and senior concept artist Leonid Enin.

The concept art comes from the Montreal International Game Summit held earlier this month, where it was created live at the show. The shots focus on a character (at right) who does not appear to be Agent 47, the protagonist of past entries in the series.

It was revealed last week that IO Interactive would not develop the next entry in the Hitman series, but rather Square Enix Montreal. Hitman: Absolution director Tore Blystad said, "It's like with Treyarch and Infinity Ward. You have an IP that has been developed. They will feed off each other, as well as some things that stand out. I think with these big franchises, it takes a long time to develop just one game. If you can, work a little bit in parallel at least, and help each other out."

For more on the latest Hitman game, check out GameSpot's review of Hitman: Absolution.