Mafia Boss Says GTA Isn’t a Factor in Game Development Discussions

Since the launch of the Mafia franchise in 2002, these crime-centric games have frequently drawn comparisons to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series. Players often analyze screenshots, gameplay mechanics, animations, and map sizes, pitting entries from both series against each other. However, according to Nick Baynes, president of Hangar 13, the developers behind Mafia never reference GTA during their development process.

In a recent oral history of the Mafia series, several developers, including those who contributed to the original Mafia game over two decades ago, shared insights. During this discussion, the topic of GTA arose in relation to Mafia 3’s transition to a fully open-world format, which was influenced by player feedback from Mafia 2 and industry trends at the time.

Baynes didn’t reveal anything particularly scandalous, despite the ongoing rivalry between fans of the two franchises. Interestingly, he refrained from directly mentioning GTA or GTA 6 in his comments.

“I think that genuinely at the studio, we’ve got our own path,” Baynes stated.

“It genuinely never ever comes up in conversation as a touchpoint or steering our strategy or anything like that. I think obviously there’s a lot of stories about that game out there right now because something’s coming out later this year! But yeah, genuinely, I think it’s an internet thing. It’s not something the studio looks at. So I think I’m afraid there’s not a rich vein of answers to give you for that.”

To be fair, Mafia and GTA are more distinct than one might assume if they haven’t played both. Except for Mafia 3, the games tend to be more linear and cinematic compared to the expansive, chaotic experiences found in modern GTA titles. Thus, it’s somewhat peculiar when fans attempt to directly compare them to determine which is superior.

That said, I find it hard to fully accept Baynes’ assertion. It seems unlikely that the developers of the various Mafia games didn’t discuss GTA at all during their development, especially while working on Mafia 3, which closely resembles a GTA-style open-world adventure. It’s worth noting that both Rockstar and Hangar 13 are under the umbrella of Take-Two Interactive. Nevertheless, Mafia: The Old Country was a significant success, largely due to its more linear and focused gameplay. Therefore, I anticipate that future Mafia titles will continue to follow that formula rather than trying to emulate GTA’s vast open worlds.