A new Mafia is in development, but still a few years away

A new life of crime is in the works

Following rumors of its development, Hangar 13 has confirmed today that a new Mafia project is in the works. It’s still a few years out, though.

In a new interview on the Mafia site, celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary, Hangar 13 general manager Roman Hladík confirmed the new game is in the works.

“I’m happy to confirm we’ve started work on an all-new Mafia project! While it’s a few years away and we can’t share anything more right now, we’re really excited to keep working on this beloved franchise and to entertain our players with new stories.”

A Kotaku report from earlier this year broke the news that a new Mafia was in early development at Hangar 13. This was amid news that studio head Haden Blackman was leaving the developer. Chief operating officer Matthew Urban also reportedly left the studio at that time.

Kotaku’s report claims the new project is code-named “Nero”, and is expected to be a prequel to the Mafia trilogy. Unreal Engine 5 is reportedly what the team will use for it, rather than the Mafia III engine.

New beginnings

The Mafia series is made up of three games: the first Mafia, Mafia II, and the most recent Mafia III. The team at Hangar 13 also put together a Definitive Edition for the entire franchise, released in 2020.

While just three games over the span of two decades, the series has maintained a following over the years. It’s certainly the place to go if you want open-world crime action in historical settings.

With Hangar 13 confirming that it’s undertaking a new project, I’m curious to see what they’ll do. If Kotaku’s report of a prequel is on the money, I could be interested in a shiny new open-world mob game. We’ll see what’s on the way once Hangar 13’s ready to share more.

Meanwhile, the first Mafia will be free from September 1 through 5 on Steam, so you can get back in touch with the series’ roots there.