The Mafia series now spans five story chapters, and the right order depends on whether you want to follow the timeline or the release history. In story order it goes like this: Mafia: The Old Country (Sicily, 1904), the Man of Honor expansion (1905), Mafia (Lost Heaven, 1930), Mafia II (Empire Bay, 1943) and Mafia III (New Bordeaux, 1968). Below you will find both orders in tables, what the Definitive Editions, the Trilogy and the Omertà Collection actually are, and which game to start with if you are new to the series. Everything is current as of 19 October 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Mafia games in story order
The series is published by 2K and developed by Hangar 13. Each game follows a different protagonist in a different city, so the stories only connect loosely. Based on 2K’s official FAQ, the timeline looks like this:
| Order | Game | Time and place | Protagonist | Original release | Version you buy today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mafia: The Old Country | Sicily, 1904 | Enzo Favara (Torrisi family) | 2025 | Standard and Definitive Edition |
| 2 | Man of Honor (DLC) | Sicily, winter 1905 | Enzo Favara | 2026 | expansion for The Old Country |
| 3 | Mafia | Lost Heaven, 1930 | Tommy Angelo (Salieri family) | 2002 | Mafia: Definitive Edition (remake) |
| 4 | Mafia II | Empire Bay, 1943 | Vito Scaletta | 2010 | Mafia II: Definitive Edition (remaster) |
| 5 | Mafia III | New Bordeaux, 1968 | Lincoln Clay | 2016 | Mafia III: Definitive Edition |
Man of Honor earns its own spot for more than its year. Its two new chapters take place between the original chapters 5 and 6 of The Old Country, and you play as Enzo again. You also meet a younger Ennio Salieri, the same don Tommy Angelo works for in Lost Heaven a quarter of a century later. How to start the expansion and what it adds is covered in our Man of Honor guide.
Mafia games in release order
If you want to see how the series evolved, go by release date. These days you play the older entries mainly through the Definitive Editions released in 2020.
| Release | Game | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Mafia (The City of Lost Heaven) | developed by Illusion Softworks, still sold on Steam |
| 23 Aug 2010 | Mafia II | on Steam today as Mafia II (Classic), developer 2K Czech |
| 7 Oct 2016 | Mafia III | New Bordeaux and Lincoln Clay |
| 19 May 2020 | Mafia II and Mafia III: Definitive Edition | Mafia II remastered, Mafia III with all DLC |
| 25 Sep 2020 | Mafia: Definitive Edition | ground-up remake of the 2002 game |
| 8 Aug 2025 | Mafia: The Old Country | PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Man of Honor | story expansion for The Old Country |
The remake of the first game was originally due on 28 August 2020 and slipped to 25 September because of the pandemic. Mafia: Definitive Edition got a native PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version on 14 August 2026, and Mafia III: Definitive Edition followed on 8 October 2026. The details of the latter are in our article on the Mafia III upgrade.
Which Mafia game to play first
You do not need to play the earlier games. The Old Country is a standalone story, and 2K says it was designed primarily with newcomers in mind. If you know Tommy’s, Vito’s and Lincoln’s stories, you will simply spot more nods to the later timeline. Pick your route based on what you want:
- Follow the timeline: start with The Old Country, continue with Mafia: Definitive Edition, then Mafia II and finally Mafia III.
- Play the classic everyone talks about: start with Mafia: Definitive Edition. It is a full remake of the 2002 game with a new engine, an expanded story and motorcycles, while the missions stay faithful to the original. Our remake guide covers what changed.
- Play the newest game: go for The Old Country. It is a linear, story-driven game rather than an open world, and Hangar 13 says its structure is closer to Mafia and Mafia II. Prices and editions are in our price guide.
Mafia III stands apart in time and setting: it moves to New Bordeaux in 1968 with Lincoln Clay as the lead. What Mafia II and III include in their Definitive Editions and what they cost is covered in our Mafia II/III guide.
Definitive Edition, Trilogy and Omertà Collection
Stores sell three kinds of packages, and it is easy to mix them up:
- Definitive Edition means three different things for the older games: Mafia: Definitive Edition is a ground-up remake, Mafia II: Definitive Edition is a remaster, and Mafia III: Definitive Edition is the original game with all its DLC. Owners of the original 2002 Mafia do not get the remake for free.
- Mafia: Trilogy bundles Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition.
- Mafia: The Omertà Collection has been on sale since 14 August 2026 and adds The Old Country Definitive Edition, including Man of Honor, to the trilogy.
Which bundle costs what and when it is worth it is explained in our Trilogy and Omertà guide.
The series’ Czech roots
Mafia has strong Czech roots. The original 2002 game was made by Illusion Softworks, and Steam lists Mafia II with 2K Czech as the developer. Tomáš Hřebíček of Hangar 13 has worked on every entry since the first Mafia, and Roman Hladík has also been with the series since the original. The Old Country’s score was recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Voice languages differ by game: according to 2K, The Old Country offers full voice-over in English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, Russian and Sicilian, and Mafia: Definitive Edition is voiced in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech and Russian.
What comes after The Old Country
As of 19 October 2026, neither 2K nor Hangar 13 has officially announced another game after The Old Country. If that changes, you will find it in our Mafia news.
Join our Discord and ask other players which game they started with and whether they would pick the same order again: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Story order: The Old Country (1904), Man of Honor (1905), Mafia (1930), Mafia II (1943), Mafia III (1968). Release order: Mafia (2002), Mafia II (2010), Mafia III (2016), the Definitive Editions (2020), The Old Country (2025) and Man of Honor (2026).
No. The Old Country is a standalone story, and 2K designed it primarily with newcomers in mind. Knowing the older games just reveals more nods to the later timeline.
The story and missions are faithful to the original, but it is a full ground-up remake with a new engine, an expanded story and new features such as motorcycles. Owners of the original do not get it for free.
As of 19 October 2026, neither 2K nor Hangar 13 has officially announced another game after The Old Country.
Sicily, winter 1905. Its two chapters sit between the original chapters 5 and 6 of The Old Country, and you play as Enzo Favara.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. More guides to the series are in our Mafia guides section.