New Mafia Prequel Game Reportedly in Development
The fourth mainline installment in 2K Games' Mafia series is said to be in the early stages of development. The original Mafia game first released in 2002 and was later followed up on with a sequel in 2010 and a third installment in 2016. Since that time, 2K has gone back to remake the first entry with 2020's Mafia: Definitive Edition. And while the future of the franchise hasn't been discussed since then, it sounds like 2K is going to look to make a new entry that will take place before the first title.
According to a new report from Kotaku, it was said that Hangar 13, which is the studio that worked on Mafia 3, is currently developing a new game that will serve as a prequel to the trilogy. The title, which is supposedly being helmed by Hangar 13's office in Brighton, is reportedly going by the codename Nero. It's also said to be getting developed within Unreal Engine 5, which is a departure for the series given that Mafia 3 and the 2020 Mafia remake were made within an in-house engine created by Hangar 13.
To hear that 2K is looking to further double-down on the Mafia franchise with a new game is quite interesting. Although the Mafia series has never been unpopular, Mafia 3 was somewhat panned by both critics and fans when it launched, which led to some tumultuous times within Hangar 13. Despite this lukewarm reception, the game went on to sell over 7 million copies, which is pretty impressive.
Even though Mafia 3 wasn't the most popular entry, Mafia: Definitive Edition ended up being much more well-received, at least from a critical perspective. Because of this, it seems like 2K still has decided to commit to new plans for the franchise. Whether or not this new game is announced at any point in the near future remains to be seen.
What are your thoughts on Hangar 13 working on a new game in the Mafia series? Is this something that excites you, or would you prefer to see the studio work on another project at this point? Share your own thoughts with me either down in the comments or reach out on Twitter at @MooreMan12.