Mafia 4 is officially confirmed by developers at Hanger 13, expected to be a prequel

sportskeeda.com:

Hanger 13 has officially confirmed that the fourth game in the iconic Mafia series is under development. Expected to be a prequel, the title is still a few years away.

Alongside Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, Mafia is among the most iconic open-world thriller franchises. Be it the first title set during the probation era of the Chicago-esque city of Lost Haven or the racially divided New Bordeaux of the third game, the series has explored problematic periods of the 19th century.

While the third game was received with mixed results, 2020’s Mafia Definitive Edition, a ground-up remake of the first title, reinvigorated the franchise. Previously, a fourth title was rumored to be in development, which proved to be true in a recent interview celebrating the 20th anniversary of the franchise.

The original Mafia arrived over two decades ago, back in 2002. To celebrate the legacy, 2K published an interview with the developers of the franchise, taking a look back and exploring the future.

In an interview with Hangar 13 developers, General Manager Roman Hladík, Head of Production and Media Director Tomáš Hřebíček, confirmed that the next title in the series is currently under development.

When asked about the future of the franchise, Roman Hladík shared:

While Hanger 13 was initially reported to be working on a new IP, the project was canceled in November last year. According to a report by Kotaku earlier this year, the reported fourth game in the series is a prequel to the trilogy and is being developed on Unreal Engine 5. Furthermore, developers have subsequently made it their top choice.

Being a prequel, the game will most likely be set either in the late 19th century or early 20th century, right at the cusp of the industrial