Gaming

The Old Country Will Be Cheaper Than Expected When It Releases

May 8, 2025 - By admin

Following today’s announcement of Mafia: The Old Country’s release date at PAX East, 2K Games sent out a press release for the game that included a surprise for gamers looking forward to snagging the latest entry in the franchise.

While we’re used to seeing AAA games priced at $70 a pop, and with the announcement that some major players like Xbox hiking the price of some of its first-party titles, it’s refreshing to see that 2K Games is going the opposite way by offering Mafia: The Old Country at a lower price than what we’re used to.

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The press release 2K Games sent announces that Mafia: The Old Country will be available at $49.99 — yep, $20 cheaper than what we’re used to. The price announcement was accompanied by a statement by 2K President David Ismailer, “We think there’s a large audience for compelling stories that don’t require massive time commitments. We’re excited to offer a game like Mafia: The Old Country in our portfolio, and to provide a linear highly-polished narrative experience that can easily complement the other more persistent games our players also love and engage with on a more consistent basis.”

Developer Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes also said, “Mafia: The Old Country is a focused, linear experience that combines quality storytelling, authentic era immersion and a refined take on the familiar Mafia gameplay. That focus allows us to deliver a story that’s gritty, grounded, brutal and emotional. Embracing early 1900s era Sicily, this is a mafia origin story that follows our protagonist, Enzo Favara, as he takes the oath and works his way up Don Torrisi’s crime family.”

Putting two and two together here, it seems based on Ismailer’s comment, Mafia: The Old Country will be a shorter game than what we’re used to seeing from past Mafia games. While the Mafia franchise didn’t have an open-world as vibrant and full of stuff to do as the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the games did offer freedom to explore the city. If I had to guess based on the statements made, that option might be out of the table now given the “focused linear experience” comment by the developers.

Speaking of which, a “Developer Insights” video was also released today. In it, Hangar 13 takes a look behind the scenes at the development of the new Mafia game.

The press release also outlined the Standard and Deluxe Edition that are available for pre-orders starting today.

The Standard Edition includes the full base game and will be available for $49.99 on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
The Deluxe Edition lets players descend into Sicily’s criminal underworld in true Cosa Nostra style with a variety of bonus items and will be available for $59.99 on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. This edition includes the Padrino Pack, featuring “Lupara Speciale” Shotgun, “Vendetti Speciale” Pistol, “Immortale” Charm, “Padrino” Outfit, “Stiletto Speciale” Knife, “Eckhart Speciale” Limousine and “Cosimo” Horse and Accessories. Additionally, it offers the Gatto Nero Pack with the “Bodeo Nero” Pistol, “Velocità” Charm, “Gatto Nero” Racing Outfit and “Carozella Nero” Race Car, plus digital bonus materials including the Original Score and Digital Artbook full of concept art and developer notes

Those planning to pre-order either version of the game ‘ll receive the “Soldato Pack,” which features the Soldato Outfit, Scannaturi Speciale Knife, Tesoro Horse and Accessori, and Lupara Charm.

This is a breath of fresh air with video game companies pushing for more expensive games. Sure, it might be a shorter experience, but at least it’ll be significantly cheaper. Could we be seeing a more dynamic price point for games moving forward? If it’ll be more affordable, why not?

Don’t expect Grand Theft Auto 6 to have a similar price tag though, as 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive knows people will buy it at any price, which is why some analysts think it’ll be the first game to be priced at $100.