IGN marks 25 years of the Mafia series with an oral history featuring long-serving developers from Hangar 13, including staff involved since the first game. The article traces how a small Czech studio’s crime-game idea developed into a story-led franchise, and why the series’ characters and cinematic focus have remained central to its appeal despite changing ownership and uneven fortunes.

The anniversary coincides with the 14 August release of Mafia: The Omertà Collection, containing definitive editions of four games, and a free 60fps update for Mafia: Definitive Edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Developers Roman Hladík and Tomas Hrebicek describe joining Illusion Softworks in Brno around 1998, helping create the 2002 original, then remaining through Take-Two’s 2008 acquisition, the 2K Czech rebrand and the 2017 move into Hangar 13.