Mafia II developer 2K Czech is busy with work, it appears, as a recent
rumor suggests the developer is not only crafting a new entry in the
Mafia franchise, but is also assisting Rockstar Games with development
on Grand Theft Auto V.
As for the first half of that rumor, a tipster told VG247
that 2K Czech has entered full development on Mafia III following a
year of preproduction work. No release window or platforms were made
available for Mafia III, but the source said 2K was present at the
supposed "Durango" next-generation developer gathering in London last week.
As for the second half of that rumor, the source told the site that 2K
Czech has been helping Rockstar for close to a year on Grand Theft Auto
V. The Mafia developer is reportedly producing animations for cutscenes
and general gameplay for Rockstar's new open-world game.
The site's source indicates that not only is 2K Czech helping Rockstar
with Grand Theft Auto V, but Rockstar is sharing some of its development
tips with the Mafia house. According to the source, publisher Take-Two
is keen on turning the Mafia franchise into the publisher's next
big-ticket series.
Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced in October,
but no mention has yet been made concerning a launch window or
platform(s) for the game. As for a new entry in the Mafia franchise,
after shipping Mafia II, developer 2K Czech laid off 40 employees but noted it remained intent on building new games.
[UPDATE] A 2K Games representative told GameSpot, "Rockstar Games and 2K
Czech are not working on any projects together. We haven't announced
any plans regarding a future Mafia release."
