What year is Mafia The Old Country set in?

Mafia The Old Country takes players back to the early 1900s, specifically in Sicily. This time, the story doesn’t follow the typical American mob stories we're used to in the previous Mafia games. Instead, it delves into the roots of the Mafia in a fictional Sicilian town called San Celeste. If you recognize the name, that's because it appeared in the prologue of Mafia II, but now it's taking center stage.

The game focuses on the origins of the Mafia, and the setting takes place in the early 1900s, a period much earlier than the usual 1930s to 1960s that we’re accustomed to in Mafia titles.

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Mafia The Old Country: Enzo Favara’s origin story starts underground

The main character this time is Enzo Favara, and his life begins in the worst possible place: Sicilian sulfur mines. We're talking about full-on indentured labor, where children and adults are worked to the bone. From there, the story slowly builds his rise through the ranks of the Torrisi crime family, the mob group in San Celeste. There’s no American dream here — this is about survival, tradition, and family power.

This setup also means the whole game's tone feels way more personal, more raw. Instead of flashy heists and jazz clubs, you’re likely traversing crumbling village alleys, old-world traditions, and harsh street justice.

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

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Weapons you’ll get your hands on

Despite the older period, Mafia The Old Country isn’t shy about violence. Thanks to the ESRB rating, we already know some of the weapons that’ll be part of the gameplay. You’ll use knives (for those up-close stealth kills), pistols, rifles, shotguns, and explosives — so the action is still very much there, just more grounded in the era.

These weapons line up with the more cinematic, linear style the game’s aiming for— closer to Mafia I and II rather than the open world of Mafia III. If you’re into stealth, stabbing enemies from the shadows is also confirmed. The ESRB even notes blood-splatter effects, realistic gunfire, and pools of blood under bodies, so don’t expect anything toned down.

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