25 Years of Mafia: An Oral History of the Iconic Crime Saga

It's hard to believe that the Mafia franchise is almost a quarter of a century old, with many of its developers having dedicated even longer to the series. What started in 2002 with Illusion Softworks' original Mafia has grown into a major franchise for publisher 2K, experiencing its fair share of highs and lows along the way. Yet, even after 25 years, it remains as vibrant as ever.

Today, August 14, marks the release of Mafia: The Omertà Collection, featuring Mafia: The Old Country Definitive Edition, Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia 2: Definitive Edition, and Mafia 3: Definitive Edition. Additionally, a free update for Mafia: Definitive Edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S introduces 60 frames-per-second gameplay—a long-awaited feature for fans. It's a busy time for both the franchise and its developer, Hangar 13.

While capturing the full 'making of' the entire franchise in a single interview is impossible, I gave it my best shot in a conversation with Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes, general manager Roman Hladík, Mafia: The Old Country game director Alex Cox, and cinematics director Tomas Hrebicek. Roman and Tomas have been with Mafia since the very beginning, having joined Illusion Softworks in Brno, Czech Republic, to help create the first game. They've witnessed everything: the 2008 acquisition by 2K parent company Take-Two, the rebranding to 2K Czech, and the 2017 merger into Hangar 13. And they're still here, still crafting Mafia experiences.

So, if you have even a passing interest in the Mafia series, I hope you'll find something intriguing in the interview below. We delve into all the main games, the challenges they presented, and the decisions made at the time—plus a little tease for what's next.