2K and Hangar 13 surprised just about everyone yesterday when it announced the next entry in the Mafia franchise. However, following its launch, some found information that suggested the game would not have Sicilian (or Italian) voice acting in the upcoming project despite it being set in Sicily. Fortunately, 2K has reassured fans that it will be present in the game.
Authenticity is at the heart of the Mafia franchise, 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.
— Mafia Game (@mafiagame) August 21, 2024
In a statement posted on X/Twitter, the official Mafia account confirmed that The Old Country will “offer voice acting in Sicilian.” It further confirmed what was already made public on the Steam page: the Italian language localization will be available for the game’s subtitles and in-game UI.
2K and Hanagr 13 are issuing the statement for clarification as some on the internet (primarily X/Twitter) were quick to point out that Mafia: The Old Country’s Steam listing discloses that the game will get full voice acting in six languages: English, French, German, Spanish — Spain, Czech, and Russian.
Mafia: The Old Country
> is about mafia
> is set in Italy
> doesn’t have Italian voice actingMake it make sense please pic.twitter.com/Z2xAt7aF6p
— Kei 🌸 (@SagamiSword_) August 20, 2024
💀Listen, I ain’t very picky with voice acting in video games but why the first game of the whole Mafia franchise to be set in Sicily has no Italian audio??? 💀
We do have voice actors in this country, you don’t fool me. 😒 pic.twitter.com/8njIsFdsJY
— ⛧Evi Constantine ⛪🐐 🇮🇹 Heretic Goat Vtuber⛧ (@EviConstantine) August 21, 2024
However, what’s interesting about the statement issued by the Mafia game account is that The Old Country will include Sicilian, not Italian voice acting. Why is this a big deal? Sicilian is a dialect spoken in Sicily. It has its own unique vocabulary and pronunciation, among other things — a completely separate language from Italian.
Mafia: The Old Country is the next installment in the franchise. Set in 1900s Sicily, Hangar 13 teases that The Mafia: The Old Country will tell a “gritty mob story.” The project is slated to release sometime next year on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
2K also teased yesterday during the teaser reveal that the company will share additional details about the game in December. While no firm date was provided other than December 2024, the deep dive could happen at 2024 Game Awards, given the annual gaming-centric award show is typically held in December.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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