Success of Mafia: The Old Country drives the future of the Mafia franchise

The CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, expressed confidence in the future of the Mafia franchise after the performance of the prequel Mafia: The Old Country. Zelnick stated that the title, released in August of this year, "performed well ahead of expectations", indicating a promising future for the open-world crime series from 2K Games.

In an interview with IGN, before Take-Two's Q2 financial report, Zelnick confirmed that the success of the game was enough to install confidence to continue the franchise: “Definitely. We’re really excited about Mafia, and I think that’s a great question because it is sort of a reset for the franchise. We don’t have anything to announce — that comes from the label — but it definitely performed well ahead of expectations."

The strategy of 2K and Hangar 13 to release Mafia: The Old Country, set in early 1900s Sicily, at a lower price than expected of $49.99, and to emphasize that the game was linear and narrative-driven, and not an open-world like Grand Theft Auto, seems to have paid off. Take-Two did not disclose exact sales numbers, but stated that the game "quickly surpassed our internal expectations and affirmed our belief that consumer demand remains strong for premium, narrative-driven experiences that over-index on value".

The game was well-received, with a 8/10 review from IGN rating it as "Great". At the time of release, the review stated: "Mafia: The Old Country is a conventional but effective return to the linear and tightly story-driven format of the original Mafia and Mafia II, and it boasts a wonderful eye and ear for detail."

Hangar 13 and 2K confirmed that more new content and updates for The Old Country are in development. The game, a prequel to the franchise that started in 2002, marked a return after the divisive release of Mafia 3 in 2016 and the arrival of remasters in 2020.

The CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, confirms that Mafia: The Old Country exceeded expectations, ensuring excitement for the future of the Mafia franchise. The success was attributed in part to the price of $49.99 and the focus on a linear and narrative experience.