Around six copies of the Doge meme at different sizes exist in the files of 2016's Hitman. These were likely placeholders for an item or weapon's menu images.

In the Bonus Mission "The Icon", there are two civilians talking by the entrance about how they want Icon to be replaced by someone else, namely Dave Bateson, instead of Dino Bosco (the target of the mission). This is in reference to the development of Hitman: Absolution and the subsequent fan backlash the casting change caused, where 47, normally voiced by David Bateson, was going to be replaced by William Mapother; the voice actor for Dino Bosco in "The Icon".

This initial casting change was at the request of Square Enix, and IO Interactive had recorded some lines in secret with Bateson to show Square Enix, and once they heard them, they relented and Bateson was brought back to play 47 in Hitman: Absolution at the very last minute.

In the Sapienza map, the player can find two men dressed in outfits marked as "Green Plumber" and "Red Plumber", which seems to be a reference to Mario and Luigi.

In the Bangkok level, there's an NPC who mimics then presidential candidate Donald Trump and references quotes like “I could make my country great again!” in the same blusterous mannerisms.