Mafia: The Old Country — Everything We Know

Previous Mafia games have been set in the US across three distinct eras of organized crime. However, Hangar 13 now plans to showcase the rise of the mafia in 1900s Sicily. It’s definitely an intriguing setting to explore the origin story of Mr Salieri before he moved to the US. Even more so, the new game will offer a nice change of pace to travel to the old country and unpack the roots of family ties in mob culture. While we’ve just caught wind of the announcement of the new game, we’ve compiled everything we know so far about Mafia: The Old Country below.

What is Mafia: The Old Country?

Mafia: The Old Country is an upcoming action-adventure game. It’ll be the fourth mainline game in the Mafia video game series, which has three games, a remake of the first game, a remaster of the second game, and two spin-offs on mobile. As the name suggests, the new game will wind back in time to the origins of the mafia. It will take place in the 1900s in Sicily, when organized crime was just picking up pace. This makes it the prequel to the first game. Like previous games, you can expect to unravel a gritty but compelling tale that pokes at the cogs of mob culture. You can expect to unravel family ties that hold strong amid questionable choices. Overall, you can look forward to a brutal adventure set in an otherwise lush old country. 

Story

Set in Sicily in the 1900s, Mafia: The Old Country plans to take us back to the origin of the mafia. Previous games have shone their spotlight on US settings set across three distinct eras. Now, you’ll rewind time all the way to the origin of organized crime. Specifically, you’ll explore the fictional town of San Celeste, which you may remember from Mafia II. The upcoming game already has a Steam store page out now, which reveals that the story will be a gritty one. It’ll be a mob story that showcases the relationships between crime members who call themselves a “brotherhood.” Meanwhile, the story will take place against the backdrop of a brutal world of underworld crime.

Gameplay

With the announcement came very little information about the gameplay. We do know that besides unraveling a linear campaign, you can expect action sequences. You’ll fight enemies, striving to survive a “dangerous and unforgiving era.” Thanks to current-gen hardware, the new game will display authentic, realistic visuals. You can also prepare to unwind a rich story akin to the success of previous games in the Mafia series. If you’re curious about the voice acting, you’ll be happy to know the upcoming game will have “fully localized voice acting in Sicilian.” This will doubtlessly immerse players further in the old country and time setting of the game.

Development

Hangar 13 is currently developing Mafia: The Old Country, while 2K will publish the game. 2K Czech created and developed the Mafia series. However, Hangar 13 picked up the mantle from Mafia III, with 2K Games as the publisher. The first game in the Mafia series launched in 2002. Since then, the series has picked up pace with a cult following over the years. However, all the previous games have taken place in the US, from the fictional cities of Lost Heaven, based on Chicago, to Empire Bay, based on New York City. Eras have been wide-ranging, too, from the 1930s to the 1960s. While we’ve received a remake and remaster most recently, it’s exciting that Hangar 13 is now ready to usher not only a new game to the series but a new era.

Hangar 13 and 2K Games have only just announced the new game at the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 event. The teaser trailer at the event wrapped up with the promise of a closer look into the game in December 2024. Thereafter, the President of Hangar 13, Nick Baynes, expressed his excitement to take players to the roots of the Mafia franchise. The teaser video “was an early look at Mafia: The Old Country: a thrilling story set in 1900 Sicily,” he says. “We’re going back to the roots about what fans love about the Mafia franchise. Mafia success is built on our players’ passion for the franchise, and we’re so committed to returning to the old country. We can’t wait to show you more.”

Trailer

Mafia: The Old Country’s official teaser trailer is out now on YouTube. Mr. Salieri’s voice pierces through the ears in the in-engine cinematic video. He talks about family, and how the origin of the mafia lacks treachery or empathy. “It’s a brotherhood,” he confesses, with slow-motion bits and pieces of the visuals you can expect in the final game. No gameplay footage was revealed in the video.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Mafia: The Old Country is slated to launch sometime in 2025. So, along with GTA 6, you can mark your mental calendar for the launch of the upcoming game. While we wait for a more specific launch window, you can add the upcoming game to your Steam wishlist here. It goes a long way to support the developers by a high show of interest in the game, and, in turn, you’ll receive a notification as soon as the game drops. 

As for the platforms, you can expect the game to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms via Steam. Unfortunately, it appears Mafia: The Old Country will be a current-gen exclusive. We’ll keep a close eye on any new announcements, including the editions that will be available for preorder, if there will be any. At the moment, Hangar 13 promises to reveal more news in December 2024. Alternatively, you can follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates.