Take-Two CEO Rubbishes Comparisons Between Mafia III And Grand Theft Auto V

Just yesterday, Take-Two revealed its financial earnings report for the publisher’s first fiscal quarter, and much like all reports of this nature, there was many more juicy tidbits to pour over beyond raw profit margins and sales figures. Perhaps one of the biggest non-stories reared its head earlier today, when Take-Two refused to provide an update on the status of the much-hyped single-player DLC for Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V.

Looking to one of the publisher’s other, slightly more modest series, the company’s CEO Strauss Zelnick then touched upon Hanger 13’s upcoming threequel, Mafia III. Responding to accusations that the studio’s crime-ridden shooter resembled Rockstar Games’ GTA V, Zelnick noted that there was no resources shared between the two development teams, and he praised each franchise for remaining two distinct IPs.


“Mafia 3 is a completely different experience. I wouldn’t compare it to anything else out there. The reveal [at Gamescom] was great, but it stands alone. We don’t use any other game in the same sentence as Grand Theft Auto. It is the industry’s standard-bearer. It’s not up for comparison,” added Zelnick.

Situated in New Orleans, Mafia III takes place in 1968, with players controlling a man known as Lincoln Clay, who has had his family butchered by the Italian mob. It’s understood that the sequel will have you establish a criminal empire of your own in the Big Easy, all the while handling the double-crossing and deceitful tricks of those around you. Keep your friends close…

Still, even though Zelnick considers both properties to be wholly unique, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the two to have similarities. Take Grand Theft Auto V, for instance. Rockstar’s adorned sequel assimilated gameplay elements associated with the likes of Max Payne and Red Dead Redemption, and while Mafia III is in development at a different studio, being compared to one of the best-selling titles of all time is anything but an insult.

Mafia III is due to launch across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2016.