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Mafia: Definitive Edition Devs Are Working On Their Own Original IP, May Return To Mafia In Future

Game director Haden Blackman has talked to GameSpot about what's next for Hanger 13 once Mafia: Definitive Edition is out.

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Mafia: Definitive Edition is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 25, and once it's out, developer Hanger 13 is going to move on to something entirely new--their own IP. GameSpot has a full interview with Haden Blackman, the game's director, and he talks about the studio's plans for the future.

Blackman says that after finishing the DLC for Mafia III, the team began work on a new IP. This could be a reference to Rhapsody, a Berlin-set spy game that was reportedly in the works at the developer (the game's map was found inside Mafia III: Definitive Edition). It's unclear whether Rhapsody is still being worked on, but something other than Mafia is definitely in the works.

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Now Playing: Mafia: Definitive Edition - Extended Gameplay Reveal Trailer

While work was going on this IP, the team started to think about what to do next with Mafia, and eventually settled on a remake of the original. This came about because it was clear they were not ready to start on an entirely new project just yet. "When we started to wind down on Mafia III, we had already started kicking around ideas for our original IP," Blackman recalls. "We knew that we were going to have a team, especially on the art and kind of media team side, that we wouldn't be able to leverage right away."

Asked if this new version of Mafia was a way of "putting a neat bow" on the franchise before moving onto this new IP, Blackman said that this is the case. " I mean, I wouldn't say that it's a goal in the sense that we're not going to return to the franchise," he clarifies. "As you know, a lot of it will really depend on how successful the Definitive Edition is and what the reception is."

Work on a new IP is happening right now, he says, calling Hanger 13 a "multi-project studio". Beyond this, he says, "we've got a couple of other things in the works as well."

"I wouldn't say that Mafia: Definitive Edition means that we're done with the franchise," he continues. "I think that we've got some ideas kicking around, but a lot of it's just really going to depend on what the reception is like and how well it does in the market."

You can watch the Mafia: Definitive Edition extended gameplay reveal trailer above.

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