I understand you're upset, please let's not go about it. The matter is: How can one remove Online DRM? By own hand personally. This is primarly about a fix, not infinite talking how bad this is (we all know it is bad).

How can a user patch the game in order, at the very least, to make it create proper offline saves as if it was online? I have info that pirates did that trick, want to know how exactly and obviously open source with a full disclosure of everything done. I consider it "illegal" that the game has DRM and as such, an owner has the full right to hack it over. In the best case GOG will notice and apply that to the game, partially fixing this.

A guide of any kind with deep explanations is welcome. To do anything in reach of Linux's repos is fine too. Please no EXE cracks that are prepered by somebody and not checkable, I don't trust it, I see it as insecure and a risk. The idea is to make it oneself, it doesn't matter if a guide is long but the result to free the game.

you should just ask for a refund, they don't deserve any money. they should not get 1€ from this shit.
just pirate it if you really cannot stand without it.
yes I said it, pirate it!

I'm fucking angry right now with them, how can they do this to us? They were able to grow because of us! I watched gog grow thanks to many people saying how great it was (and at the beginning it was 100% true)... they got worse each year but this is the end.

You cant. If you want the online features you gotta deal with online mode. Or get a refund.

I like how every single time paying customers always end up getting screwed :)

I own the game on Steam (Got in a giveaway last year) and tried to find out about this same issue back in the day, for the same concern most people have here.

The short version is that the only thing pirates managed to do was to unlock everything, and that's all. Still better than having everything locked, but still worse than having the progress system actually in place.

The long version is that what you need is an emulated server, as the game tries to connect to IO's servers to retrieve your save (you can't just make the game look in C:\Hitman\Saves). There is some kind of project up trying to do this, but it seems is only compatible with the version that is currently an Epic Store exclusive.

Of course, I leave to you if its worth it buying a game that needs an external emulated server to work properly in a shop that its basic value is selling DRM Free games.

Refund it. at the very least a refund will show in their system rather then all of us who were seconds from buying it and didnt. We are an invisible statistic.

What gog did here is pretty unnacceptable.

- Use the offline backup installers
- Download and install the GOTY patch found in the backup intaller page
- Start the game offline OR refuse the IO user agreement. It will warn you that you will be offline

I see, I was mistaken then on the impression. Is the unlocking done by placing a save where all is preunlocked? Eurogamer's article from November 2016 mentions that achieved online could be put offline. Yes, this is not a perfect solution, I agree.

It would be good to give the link to the project or how to find its source code by specific queries. The most I managed to find was about Revolt forums, no links worked, the site is long dead.

Does this patch works like what I mentioned earlier by unlocking everything at once? Because if it is, its still a diminished version of the original intent, honestly. And the escalations and all that are still unavailable. The unlocker it seems to be what Frozty_Squad mentioned up there. Just like in the (haha) pirated version.

I've sent you a DM. EDIT: Well, I'm trying to. Well, it seems I can't. Try to send me a message (add me to friends, or whatever) and I'll reply. There's nothing about this emulator not being quite as legal, but I would rather not link or mention anything directly.

Even IF the GOTY patch DOES "unlock everything", it should be stated in bold capitals at the top of the game's store page by now, instead of "Please note: Internet connection is required to access Escalation missions, Elusive Targets or user-created Contracts. Story and bonus missions can be played offline."

"Please note: If you want to play an all-unlocked (hastily put together cheat) version of the game (but without DRM), please install an included GOTY patch, get it here: (link), to get it working refuse agreement" it should've said instead (because that's not obvious at all). Or something along these lines.

The potential buyers should KNOW and be fully advised about this functionality BEFORE buying the game, not learning from a forum post while the (still well founded) storm rages on.

Even if the patch is true, the whole situation is still an ongoing major PR fiasco on GOG's part.

That said, if the patch just "unlocks everything" (sans escalations and elusive targets), instead of giving the game natural progression, it's still a lazy solution compared to a true DRM-free product, but if it does what they say it does, it's beside the point of the PR failure to communicate this.

I will edit the first message today (24 hours) after confirming through my sources. Thanks for help, Neurus_Ex and Frozty_Squad.

The unlocking process must be more visible to people. Emulation will be looked on closely, I got the link, and if all okay and does work on this or can be made to (no guarantee, don't rise your hopes yet), it'll be mentioned in detail. I understand it's not a perfect way but that's all what is possible right now.

Buy it and refund it. Be visible.

Can you please list what it unlocks and what it doesn't?

Yes that patch. I'm in the process of downloading it and trying it out. If it doesn't work then it a refund for me
.