Take-Two CEO Excited: Mafia Franchise Surpasses Expectations with The Old Country Success!

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, has expressed optimism about the future of the Mafia game series, especially after the success of this year’s prequel, Mafia: The Old Country, which exceeded expectations significantly.

“When questioned whether The Old Country’s performance was satisfactory enough to ensure the continuation of the series, Zelnick confirmed, “Absolutely. We are quite thrilled about the direction Mafia is taking. This is essentially a rejuvenation for the series. Although no announcements are forthcoming — those will come from the label — the game certainly did surpass our expectations.”

The strategy to market Mafia: The Old Country at an unexpectedly low price of $49.99 seems to have been a wise one. The game’s affordable price was well-received by fans upon confirmation, and both the publisher 2K and developer Hangar 13 effectively set the stage by clarifying before the launch that this was definitely not an open-world game in the vein of Grand Theft Auto, but rather a linear, story-focused title.

Take-Two has not disclosed specific sales numbers but acknowledged that the game, set in early 1900s Sicily, “quickly exceeded our internal projections and confirmed our belief that there is a strong market demand for high-quality, narrative-driven games that provide great value.” While it remains uncertain when or how the next installment in the Mafia series might appear, more updates and new content for The Old Country are definitely in development.

Mafia: The Old Country, which launched in August, serves as a prequel to the longstanding crime drama video game series that began with the original Mafia in 2002. The franchise experienced somewhat regular releases until Mafia 3 in 2016, which received mixed reviews, followed by a series of well-regarded definitive edition remasters in 2020, which helped tide fans over. After almost a decade without a new game, it seems the wait for subsequent releases will not be as long this time around.

Earlier this year, Hangar 13 and 2K positioned The Old Country as a new beginning for the Mafia series, and it appears to be a successful strategy. In our 8/10 review, we described the game as a “Great” return to the linear, story-intensive style of the original Mafia and Mafia II, with a keen attention to detail in both visuals and sound.

For more information on The Old Country, you can delve into the details of the Free Ride mode introduced in a recent free update. Additionally, comprehensive details on the game’s PC and console specifications and features are also available for those interested.