When a Physics Quirk Becomes a Shortcut
In Hitman, the intended route to a target usually involves learning patrols, finding a disguise, and getting close without attracting attention. Some speedrunners replace that careful approach with a stranger tool: a remote explosive. The trick described here uses nearby civilians as part of the setup, bouncing the device off them before detonating it.
The key is that the game has to calculate collisions and explosions in a crowded, moving environment. When those interactions behave unexpectedly, their forces can combine in a way the designers did not intend. Instead of merely hurting someone nearby, the blast can send the target flying an extraordinary distance across the level. That kind of result is a physics glitch: an odd outcome produced by the game’s simulation rather than a normal mission mechanic.
Why Speedrunners Use It
A conventional assassination can require several steps: reach the target, avoid witnesses, and find a way to make the kill. A launch glitch can collapse much of that sequence into one risky setup. If the target’s death registers and the mission accepts it, the runner can skip large stretches of navigation and disguise-based planning.
It is not necessarily the safest or most reliable way to play. The setup depends on how characters and objects collide, so a small difference in positioning can change the result. But speedrunning rewards routes that are fast, not necessarily elegant or repeatable for an ordinary player. In this case, the shortest path to a target may begin by making someone else—and an explosive—behave in a way the game never meant them to.
