Hitman: Profession trademark registered

Did you know that there are two Hitman games in the works at Square Enix? IO Interactive is working on Hitman Absolution, while another newly-opened Square Enix team in Montreal is handling an as-of-yet detailed follow-up. In the original announcement, the publisher noted that it was attempting to "expand the vision for the Hitman franchise"--but how?

Our first hint may come from this recently-filed trademark. Filed just before the holiday, Square Enix has registered Hitman: Profession.

Siliconera spotted the title in a European database. While there's little to go on, the broad-reaching title may suggest that "Profession" may focus less on the exploits of Agent 47, and more on the career itself. Could this be a multiplayer-focused Hitman game?

Given Absolution is still in development, and Square Enix's Montreal team is still in its infancy, we don't expect to get any updates to "Profession" any time soon.