With the big Summer update for Hitman World of Assassination, developer IO Interactive introduced new challenges to the game to keep players busy in what is usually a quiet period for releases. Some of these challenges, like the Sapienza Sports Club, are downright fiendish.
To complete the Sapienza Sports Club challenge in Hitman World of Assassination tasks you with killing Sapienza’s two main targets in unique ways. You’ve got to take out Francesca De Santis with an explosive golf ball and Silvio Caruso using the explosive baseball. The thing is, there’s a story mission in Sapienza that uses an explosive golf ball, and if you’re like me, you’ll go ahead and complete it without a second thought. But that’s not how you do this challenge.
How to complete the Sapienza Sports Club challenge in Hitman World of Assassination
Below, I’ve outlined exactly how to complete the Sapienza Sports Club challenge in Hitman World of Assassination in easy-to-follow steps. Note that this is just the method I used because this game is so open you could do it in dozens of different ways. I’ve veered away from a Silent Assassin route because that’s adding an unnecessary complication you don’t need to worry about.
Step 1: Make sure you have the explosive baseball unlocked
I didn’t have the explosive baseball unlocked in Hitman World of Assassination prior to tackling this challenge, so I had to put in some work to hit Mastery Level 10 in the Whittleton Creek location before I could attempt it. Based on my experience, I reckon you could hit the required level and get this item within two or three runs of the mission.
However, you need to make sure you complete as many story missions, challenges, and feats as possible. Each one adds to your Mastery Level, so don’t hold back. I also played the bonus assignment for the location a few times, and that gave my Mastery Level a huge boost without making me grind through the same mission repeatedly.
Step 2: Pick the right loadout and suit up
See above for my loadout for running this challenge. Obviously, you need to bring the explosive baseball. I’ve chosen the ICA Safehouse as my starting location because you can get an explosive golf ball in there, but I’ve also smuggled one in through that same safe house. You’ll also want the electronic key hacker to complete the secondary objective so you can escape. Finally, Agent 47 should wear a breathable outfit because Italy is hot this time of year.
Even if you can’t start in the ICA Safehouse location, it’s very close to the main square, the default starting location for Sapienza. See above for a map reference. grab the explosive golf ball, and then head out the door onto the roof. You can climb up to the apartment above here and steal the cook’s disguise from the bed. You’ll need this to find your targets.
Step 3: Infiltrate the villa and steal the gold coach’s phone
Next, you need to get inside the villa and take out the golf coach so you can get his phone. You can track a story mission to find him, but he’s only ever hanging out by the small golfing green at the back of the property. Sidle along the ledge from the same roof where you grabbed the cook’s disguise and move through the kitchen to get into the villa.
From there, run around the exterior of the villa until you find the gold coach. He’s hard to miss in a striped green top. He’ll move from the pool to a cliff edge, where he’ll call his secret lover. There’s also a guard on this cliff edge, but you’ve got to take them both out for this to work.
To do this, I lured the guard over to the tall grass when the golf coach was by the pool, subdued him, and dumped his body over the cliff. Then, when the golf coach came over, I just bopped him on the head with some expired spaghetti sauce, and he tumbled down the cliff by himself. You don’t need the disguise, so let him fall.
Step 4: Eliminate your first target
Use the phone to call Francesca De Santis to her room. This can be found in the villa just up the stairs from where the golf coach was chatting to her on the phone. The best way in is through the bathroom window, which is around the corner from the door and under the small bridge.
Wait inside for the target to arrive. She won’t bring a guard inside, so wait for the door to close and the two of you to be alone. Then, equip the explosive golf ball and lob it at her head to take her out. Immediately level the scene via the bathroom window to avoid any unwanted attention.
Step 5: Take out your second target
The explosion from your first target’s death will trigger an alert status. So, the guards will drag the second target into the underground bunker beneath the villa. To get there, head to the cliff where the golf coach and guard were hanging out and take the path left down the side of the cliff. See above for a map reference.
Follow the path down, taking out the guard as you go, and you’ll find a door. Use the electronic key hacker to unlock the door, and you’ll be able to hear your second target inside the cave. Wait for all the guards to calm down a bit and allow the target to head up towards the door where you’re waiting.
Then, equip and launch the explosive baseball at the target’s head. This should kill the guard close to him as well, but run back and hide in the tall grass next to the door just in case anyone else rushes out. It’s worth grabbing a soldier’s disguise if one does come out because that’s useful for the next area.
Step 6: Destroy the virus and exit
The next stage of the mission is one you should be familiar with. You’ve got to destroy the virus in the cave and then exit the location. I did this two times because I got the explosives mixed up in my first run. In one attempt, I used a shotgun to kill all guards, then destroyed the virus and used the plane as my exit.
In the second run, the alert in the cave had caused the hazmat-wearing NPCs to leave the lab. After turning the ventilation back on, I snuck in through the door they entered, put on a hazmat suit, and proceeded to cause havoc with the systems and destroy the virus without being spotted. I still used the plane as my exit because it’s the closest to the lab.
