A Manhunt 3 listing by an online retailer has sparked new speculation that Rockstar is indeed going to release a new game in the series very soon. GameShop.at, an online retailer based in Austria, is listing an “uncut” version of Manhunt 3 for PS4 and Xbox One, also stating that the version of the game it has on sale will be “100% uncensored.” This is in reference to German law that often results in many violent video games being censored in the German and Austrian regions. The listing even includes an image of the supposed Manhunt 3 boxart, featuring a silhouette wielding an ax that’s dripping blood in the shape of the number three.

The listing is beginning to do the rounds on social media where eager Manhunt fans have their fingers crossed that this listing is just preceding an official confirmation from Rockstar Games. However, it seems highly unlikely that this listing is legitimate and there are several causes for alarm bells here. For example, GameShop.at’s description of Manhunt 3, when translated from German, is just the official description of the first Manhunt. Rockstar may have released the original Manhunt on PS4 (via the PS2 emulation feature) and it may well be planning a total remake project, but it’s unlikely that it would call it Manhunt 3.

The design of the boxart is also pretty telling. Not only is it completely inconsistent with the design language of the other boxart in the series (Manhunt and Manhunt 2’s boxarts are far more unsettling), but this particular design has also been available on VGBA since 2016. VGBA is a website that allows designers to post mockups to show off their boxart creation talent and so it seems that someone at GameShop.at has just saved the image from there and is currently using it as the official version.

There are some clear holes in the online listing, but fans can be forgiven for their enthusiasm about this. Earlier this year (Rockstar Games’ parent company) Take-Two Interactive renewed the Manhunt trademark, with some fans wondering then if this was being done because Manhunt 3 is in the works. So although the GameShop.at listing may not be the real deal, fingers crossed that Rockstar plans to heed calls for a new Manhunt anyway.

Source: GameShop.at, VGBA