Mafia The Old Country might have micro-transactions, as suggested by ESRB rating

Mafia The Old Country is already raising questions before its full reveal. A teaser trailer shared by the official Mafia Game account on X includes an ESRB rating, and right under the Mature 17+ label is a line that says 'In-Game Purchases.' This usually means micro-transactions will be present in the game.

That detail was out even before the full gameplay reveal, which is set to happen on May 8, 2025, at PAX East. So far, the game hasn't been shown properly, but this early info is already sparking concern, especially since Mafia is a single-player series and the base game will likely launch at $69.99.

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Mafia The Old Country may not be the typical Mafia operation this time

What micro-transactions could include

The ESRB site doesn’t list exactly what’s being sold, but their description for in-game purchases usually covers things like skins, virtual currency, extra missions, bonus weapons, vehicles, and season passes. It’s unclear which of these will be in the title, but it confirms that players can expect to pay for some extra content after launch.

The one thing that’s not mentioned is loot boxes. If the game had random rewards, the ESRB would have added 'Includes Random Items' as a separate label. That’s not listed, so it’s likely that anything you can buy will be direct purchases and not chance-based.

Read on: Mafia The Old Country release date seemingly set, according to leak

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Not the first time Mafia dipped into paid content

To be fair, this isn’t completely out of nowhere. Previous Mafia games — especially Mafia II — dabbled in paid DLCs after launch, including extra cars, story content, and weapons. So this might be more of the same, just flagged clearly from the beginning.

It’s also worth noting that Mafia The Old Country still hasn’t shown any actual gameplay footage. That’s coming on May 8, 2025, at PAX East, where a full trailer and dev panel are scheduled. Whether they’ll clear up the micro-transactions question remains to be seen.

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What’s confirmed so far

Mafia The Old Country's ESRB rating summary (Image via ESRB)

Aside from the micro-transaction tag, the ESRB also listed the types of weapons and gameplay included. Players can expect knives, pistols, shotguns, rifles, and explosives. Combat is described as realistic, with blood effects, stealth kills, and close-range takedowns being part of the experience.

Check out: Mafia The Old Country's recent leak gives GTA 6 fans hope amid delay concerns