Since the first Mafia arrived in 2002, players have regularly compared the crime saga with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto. Screenshots, animation quality, gameplay systems and map sizes have all become fuel for debates between fans of the two series.
Nick Baynes, president of Hangar 13, says those comparisons are not part of the studio’s creative process. In a new, in-depth oral history of the Mafia franchise, developers discussed the series’ history, including the original game released more than two decades ago.
The subject arose while discussing Mafia 3 and its move into a fully open-world structure. That decision reflected requests from players who wanted a broader experience after Mafia 2, as well as the wider industry direction at the time.
Baynes did not offer a dramatic behind-the-scenes revelation. Instead, he said the studio follows its own direction and does not use the competing crime series as a reference point when planning its games. He also avoided directly naming either that franchise or its upcoming sixth main entry.
“I think that genuinely at the studio, we’ve got our own path,” Baynes told IGN.
He added that the comparison does not come up in conversations about strategy or development. While there has been plenty of discussion around the other series because a new release is expected later this year, Baynes described the rivalry as something created online rather than inside Hangar 13.
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Mafia and GTA take different approaches
The comparison is understandable, but the games are not identical in structure. Apart from Mafia 3, most entries in the series are more linear and cinematic than the large, free-form worlds associated with modern Grand Theft Auto games.
That distinction makes direct scorekeeping between the franchises less useful. One series generally prioritises tightly controlled crime dramas, while the other is better known for sprawling sandboxes packed with optional activities and emergent chaos.
There is still reason to question whether the subject has truly never arisen during development. Mafia 3 is the clearest example of a game that resembles an open-world crime adventure, and both Rockstar and Hangar 13 operate under the same parent company, Take-Two Interactive.
Even so, Mafia: The Old Country was a big hit, with its more linear and focused design playing a major part in that result. That success may encourage future Mafia projects to refine the series’ own formula instead of pursuing ever-larger open worlds.
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