2K Games and Hangar 13 have confirmed that Mafia: The Old Country will feature Sicilian voices, after fans noticed there is no Italian dubbing option on Steam.
For the final, surprise announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live, it was announced that the next game in the Mafia series, Mafia: The Old Countryis currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and is set to launch in 2025.
While we only received a short cinematic teaser trailer, you can already wishlist the game at the respective stores.
However, shortly after the reveal, some fans found additional information about the Steam page which indicated that the game would not feature an Italian audio option, despite its Italian roots.
Instead, the page displays six available languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, and Russian. Italian subtitles and interface options are also available.
“Listen, I’m not that picky when it comes to voices in video games, but why doesn’t the first game of the entire Mafia franchise set in Sicily have Italian audio?” user wrote.
Mafia: The Old Country> is about the mafia> is set in Italy> has no Italian voice actorsMake it logical pic.twitter.com/Z2xAt7aF6pAugust 20, 2024
Fortunately, 2K Games and Hangar 13 have now provided some insight into the matter in a new statement posted on X / Twitterexplaining that The old country will use the Sicilian dialect to fit the game’s Sicilian setting in the 90s, no Italian voices.
“Authenticity is central to the Mafia franchise, and Mafia: The Old Country will feature Sicilian voice acting, in keeping with the game’s setting in 1900s Sicily,” the message reads. “Additionally, Italian language localization will be available for both in-game UI and via subtitles.”
Mafia: The Old Country doesn’t have a release date yet, but Hangar 13 has promised to provide an additional look at the game in December. We’ve also gotten a brief description of what the next episode will be about:
“Discover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country“, a gritty mafia story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily,” it says.
“Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era, with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storyline of the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for.”