BLACKWOOD receives a new patch with key improvements

BLACKWOOD takes a unique approach at the fantasy of experiencing the thrilling life of an assassing. The game puts you in the shoes of Anton Blackwood. By day, he runs a DVD store in a detailed recreation of New York in 2012. By night, he leaves the relatively harmless world of movie rentals behind and works as a professional assassin. The result is a third-person action thriller that mixes gunfights, melee combat, contextual takedowns and role-playing elements with an unexpectedly mundane business simulation.

Developed by AttritoM7 Productions and published by IZilla Games and AttritoM7 Productions, BLACKWOOD launched on September 16, 2026. Rather than being an open-world game, its story is divided into three substantial acts. Act 1 is available now, while Act 2 is planned for March 2027 and Act 3 for September 2027. The future acts will arrive as free updates for those who own the game, with each act functioning as a complete part of Anton's overall story.

A hitman by night, shopkeeper by day

The most distinctive idea in BLACKWOOD is its double-life structure. When Anton isn't carrying out contracts, he returns to his DVD store and apartment. The shop isn't simply a hub between missions: players can restock shelves, organize inventory, set prices and work the counter themselves. Alternatively, the business can largely operate on autopilot while Anton focuses on other activities. The apartment and store also provide space for customization and role-playing. Players can buy DVDs, change outfits, interact with their surroundings and manage equipment, creating a slower counterpoint to the violence of the missions. This structure makes you feel as though you are living Anton's life rather than simply selecting missions from a menu.

That contrast extends into the game's storytelling. BLACKWOOD is set in a grounded version of New York, with environmental details such as advertisements, posters and tattoos that contribute to bringing the world to life. Anton's story lets him interact with a cast of flawed characters while gradually pulling him deeper into the city's criminal underworld.

Combat is the other major pillar of BLACKWOOD. Gunplay is built around responsive movement, with Anton able to dive, roll and slide through encounters while using cover and different weapons to deal with enemies. The game also features a contextual takedown system that lets players use both their opponents and the surrounding environment to execute enemies in different ways. Melee combat is designed to sit alongside the shooting rather than simply act as a backup option. Parrying, dodging and contextual executions give close-range encounters their own rhythm.

The RPG side of BLACKWOOD ties these systems together. Money earned from the store and contracts can be used to manage equipment and prepare for future jobs, while the player's physical living spaces gradually become part of the overall progression system.

The latest BLACKWOOD patch targets movement and driving

Update #4 was released on September 22 and focuses heavily on movement, driving, enemy behavior, audio and bug fixes. It follows the September 19 quality-of-life update and September 20 melee-focused patch, showing that the developers are continuing to respond to player feedback shortly after launch.

Diving and landing now produce a slightly longer slide, while dodging follows the player's input relative to the camera rather than Anton's current orientation. The update also makes Anton begin jogging after encounter cutscenes instead of automatically walking, reducing the amount of manual input needed to get moving again.

Enemy behavior has received some adjustments as well. Enemy accuracy is temporarily reduced when opponents reacquire Anton after losing sight of him, providing a brief opportunity to react when stealth or repositioning breaks line of sight. Enemy footsteps have also been made more prominent, while several previously silent actions now produce appropriate footstep audio.

Driving is another major target. The patch changes vehicle steering to improve controller responsiveness, makes the handbrake less prone to causing unwanted spins and adjusts vehicle controls to behave more consistently across different frame rates. Enemies will also close vehicle doors whenever possible, preventing them from clipping through the vehicles.

The update also includes a vaiety of bug fixes across several aspects of the game including camera, animations, collisions, combat, and more. You can check out the official patch notes if you want to know all the details.

BLACKWOOD is still evolving

The latest update doesn't fundamentally change what BLACKWOOD is. Instead, it polishes the systems that underpin its unusual combination of cinematic action, melee combat, driving and everyday life as a DVD-store owner. The emphasis on movement, controller response and enemy behavior is particularly relevant to a game whose appeal depends heavily on making its action feel immediate.

With Act 1 already available and two more acts planned, the game's post-launch development is also set to continue beyond simple bug fixes. The developers have stated that future acts will expand the story and add new content, and player feedback may play an important role in the game's future evolution. So far, the game provides an experience intense and interesting enough to deserve your time if you are looking for an alternative to HITMAN. Remember to use our comparator to buy BLACKWOOD at the lowest price if the game has caught your eye.