A High-Value Target (HVT) is someone considered valuable in that they have knowledge of important intelligence and information that could prove useful.

Overview

HVTs appear in Splinter Cell: Blacklist as optional tasks the player can accomplish to gather more points after each mission, similar to hacking Blacklist Laptops or collecting Dead Drops. When the player grabs them as a human shield, they can then 'bag them' by pressing the knockout/kill button. This will cause the player to lay them on the ground and tie their hands together, where they are extracted after the player leaves.

Trivia

• Killing an HVT will forfeit any bonus points that the player would have gotten if they bag them.
• Fourth Echelon commander Sam Fisher or 4E operative Isaac Briggs can capture HVTs when on the field.
• Once the player bags an HVT, the HVT will not respawn again even when replaying the level for the remainder of the game.