The most revealing comparison for GTA 6 isn't a rival publisher's open world — it's a game from Take-Two's own portfolio. GTA 6 vs Mafia: The Old Country is a study in opposites: one publisher shipping a compact, linear, $49.99 period drama in 2025, then following it with the biggest, most expensive open world ever made in 2026. Put side by side, the two games map the entire spectrum of what a crime story in this medium can be.
Two Philosophies Under One Roof
Mafia: The Old Country, released in August 2025 by Hangar 13 under Take-Two's 2K label, went deliberately small: early-1900s Sicily, a focused story of a young man named Enzo entering a criminal family, and a linear, mission-driven structure that the developers openly framed as narrative-first rather than sandbox. At $49.99, it was priced below the blockbuster norm and positioned as a game you finish, not a game you live in.
GTA 6 is the opposite bet at maximum scale: the modern state of Leonida, a map 2.4–2.7× the size of GTA 5's, 700+ enterable interiors, 200+ vehicles, and a confirmed $79.99 standard edition — a world designed to absorb players for years, with a widely expected online mode extending it indefinitely.
Head to Head
| GTA 6 | Mafia: The Old Country | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | November 19, 2026 | August 8, 2025 |
| Publisher | Rockstar Games (Take-Two) | 2K / Hangar 13 (Take-Two) |
| Structure | Massive open world | Linear, narrative-driven |
| Setting | Modern-day Leonida (Florida satire) | Early-1900s Sicily |
| Leads | Jason and Lucia, dual protagonists | Enzo, single protagonist |
| Price | $79.99 / $99.99 Ultimate | $49.99 at launch |
| Tone | Contemporary satire | Period tragedy |
| Post-launch | Online mode widely expected | Story-focused, no live-service ambitions |
Story: Satire vs Tragedy
Tonally, the two couldn't be further apart. The Mafia series plays crime as opera — honor, family, fate — and The Old Country doubled down with its old-world setting and doomed-romance energy. GTA plays crime as mirror: Florida-man absurdity, influencer culture via the in-game social media ecosystem, and a Bonnie-and-Clyde arc filtered through modern America's weirdness. Interestingly, both games center a criminal couple's loyalty under pressure — Sicily just plays it straight where Vice City will play it loud.
What Each Game Proves About the Other
The Old Country's existence is quietly great news for GTA 6 fans. It shows Take-Two still funds mid-sized, finish-able, story-first games even while betting the company on Leonida — the two models coexist rather than compete. Hangar 13's Sicily also demonstrated the appetite for crime fiction outside the present day, which fuels the eternal fan wishlist for period GTA DLC.
Meanwhile, GTA 6 defines the ceiling The Old Country consciously ducked under: no $50 linear game needs to justify itself against Rockstar's scale, because it's playing a different sport. As our GTA 6 vs RDR2 comparison argues, even Rockstar's own catalog shows how differently "crime epic" can be interpreted.
Which Should You Play?
Different tools for different moods. Fifteen free evenings and a love of slow-burn period drama: Sicily is waiting right now, at a friendlier price. One game to dominate 2026 and beyond, with a living city, chaos systems, and an eventual online world: that's November 19. The genuinely smart move is sequencing — The Old Country is exactly the kind of contained story worth clearing before Leonida swallows your backlog, a strategy our games to play before GTA 6 guide is built on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are GTA 6 and Mafia: The Old Country made by the same company?
Same parent, different studios: Take-Two Interactive publishes both — GTA 6 through Rockstar Games, The Old Country through 2K and developer Hangar 13. The teams and creative directions are entirely separate.
Is Mafia: The Old Country open world like GTA 6?
No. The Old Country is deliberately linear and narrative-driven, set in a detailed but focused slice of Sicily. GTA 6 is a full open-world sandbox at unprecedented scale.
Why is GTA 6 $30 more expensive?
Scope and expected lifespan. The Old Country launched at $49.99 as a finite story; GTA 6's $79.99 standard edition covers the industry's biggest open world plus a widely expected online future. Our price breakdown covers the economics.
Which is better for story?
Subjective. The Old Country offers a tighter, more traditional crime tragedy; GTA 6 promises a bigger, freer dual-protagonist saga. If you want credits to roll inside a week, Sicily wins on focus alone.
The Bottom Line
GTA 6 vs Mafia: The Old Country isn't really a contest — it's Take-Two hedging the entire crime genre from both ends: one game about the weight of the old world, one about the noise of the new one. Play the small one now; clear your calendar for the big one. For more matchups, see GTA 6 vs Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA 6 vs GTA 5.