Mafia: The Old Country promises Sicilian voice acting after Steam language backlash

Steam doesn't have a checkbox for Sicilian

2K Games / Hangar 13

Earlier this week, the 2024 Gamescom Opening Night Live show ended with two big announcements. The first was a release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, both for Xbox Series X|S and, surprisingly, PS5. The second was the announcement of a brand-new Mafia game, Mafia: The Old Country which, as you might expect, is set in Sicily. 

The game was immediately lauded upon its announcement, with fans of the series excited to visit 1900s Italy during the rise of the Sicilian Mafia after the turn of the century. That excitement quickly turned to confusion and a little bit of anger, though when the game’s Steam page went live and it was revealed that the game, despite being set in Italy, would not feature Italian voice acting. 

Per the game’s list of features on Steam, Mafia: The Old Country seemingly has “full audio” support for English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, and Russian. It also has subtitles and interface localization for Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, and Latin American Spanish. As you can see, no Italian voice acting. 

Thankfully, Developer Hangar 13 has stepped in to clear up any confusion, and revealed that the game will have voice acting in Italian, in order to be more authentic to the setting. 

“Authenticity is at the heart of the Mafia franchise,” a tweet from the official Mafia Twitter account reads, “And Mafia: The Old Country will offer voice acting in Sicilian, inline with the game’s setting in 1900s Sicily. Additionally, Italian language localization will be available for both in-game UI and via subtitles.” 

Phew. 

Not much is known about Mafia: The Old Country yet, with the announcement trailer giving very little away beyond a quick look at some very Italian-looking landscapes and a voiceover of an Italian-accented man reciting an initiation ritual. The game’s Steam description doesn’t offer too much more: 

Uncover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era, with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for.

No release date has been given for the game beyond just 2025, but a “closer look” at the game is said to be coming in December 2024.