We all know by now that good news always comes with bad news, and that's exactly the news that comes with the revelation that Mafia 4 is in development.
Having the 4th installment of the game on its way is excellent news. But unfortunately, a key figure from the franchise is leaving while the game is in early development.
2K games announced that Hangar 13 studio head Haden Blackman is leaving the studio after seven years. The former LucasArts veteran had a huge hand in developing the Mafia series and is heading on to new challenges.
"We are grateful for Haden's leadership in establishing Hangar 13, building and uniting teams in Novato, Brighton and Czech, and releasing multiple studio-defining Mafia games and collections," 2K wrote in an internal communication shared with VentureBeat and others. "What Haden helped build will continue to carry forward and grow for years to come. We support all of our employees pursuing their passions, and we wish nothing but the best for him in what's next."
It's not the only significant loss at Hangar 13. As Kotaku found on Linked In, chief operating officer Matthew Urban is also leaving the studio. "What an amazing ride at H13....... let's see what is next," Urban announced on his LinkedIn page. In addition, reports indicate that some project managers might be unhappy that the studio is shifting its focus from original projects to established franchises.
Presently studio head of Hangar 13's Brighton, UK branch, Nick Baynes will take over for Blackman. While the game is currently in the early stages of development, it is likely to be a prequel to the Mafia trilogy and will be titled, Nero. Instead of the Mafia III engine recently used for the remasters, it will be made using Unreal Engine 5.
“With 30 years of industry leadership experience, Nick joined Hangar 13 in 2018 to establish Hangar 13 Brighton, and has spent the last four years growing the team, building up the studio’s capabilities, and launching terrific projects like Mafia: Definitive Edition and the Mafia Trilogy,” 2K told staff Wednesday.
