Publisher 2K Games today confirmed the existence of Mafia 3, a long-anticipated sequel in its open-world crime drama series.
Few details regarding the upcoming release are known, though 2K notes that the game will be fully revealed at next week’s Gamescom event in Germany.
Similar in premise to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series, 2K’s Mafia games are open-world quests in which players control a member of the criminal underworld in 1930s-era America. Gameplay in the Mafia games centers around a “Wanted” system that tracks player crimes and traffic offenses, forcing them to keep a low profile while evading police.
The original game in the series, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, premiered for PC platforms in 2002, and ports for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 arrived in 2004. Gameplay took a more considered approach to crime than its rivals in the Grand Theft Auto series, focusing more on minimizing violent encounters, rather than open-world mayhem.
Mafia 2, released in 2010 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms, expanded on its predecessor’s gameplay with new weapons, context-sensitive environmental interaction, and a cover system that incorporates modern third-person shooter mechanics.
Mafia 2 saw multiple DLC expansions released in the months after its initial launch. The first two DLC mini-campaigns, “The Betrayal of Jimmy” and “Jimmy’s Vendetta,” featured plot points and characters separate from the game’s main storyline. The final DLC entry “Joe’s Adventures” is a more substantial expansion that blends with Mafia 2‘s core campaign. Mafia 2: Director’s Cut, a compilation bundling all previously released downloadable content, debuted for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PCs in 2011.
Mafia 3 was known to exist as far back as 2012. Rumors suggested that the game was previously in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 before shifting to current-generation platforms. A rumored casting call in 2014 hints at a Louisiana setting.
2K announced that a trailer showcasing Mafia 3 will premiere on August 5.
