Third installment in the Mafia franchise transports players to a dangerous, reimagined New Orleans amid the turbulence of 1968

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2015-- 2K today officially revealed Mafia III, the next installment in the popular series known for immersing players into a world of organized crime through rich narrative storytelling and beautifully crafted game worlds. Mafia III is being developed by Hangar 13, a new development studio under the 2K publishing label led by veteran game developer Haden Blackman. Mafia III will be available in calendar 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

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2K today officially revealed Mafia III, the next installment in the popular series known for immersing players into a world of organized crime through rich narrative storytelling and beautifully crafted game worlds. Mafia III is being developed by Hangar 13, a new development studio under the 2K publishing label led by veteran game developer Haden Blackman. Mafia III will be available in calendar 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Mafia III continues the strong franchise tradition of a captivating story set in the treacherous and calculated world of organized crime,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Mafia III captures Hangar 13’s mantra of ‘every player story is unique’ through a cinematic narrative that responds to player choice.”

Mafia III is set in a reimagined New Orleans in 1968, one of the most tumultuous years in American history. This version of New Orleans is bustling with activity, complete with era-inspired cars, fashion and music. During this turbulent time, a cloud of corruption hangs in the air and the city has become a haven for organized crime. The Italian mob controls illegal gambling, drugs, and prostitution, while corrupt police and politicians line their pockets with the proceeds.

Mafia III follows the story of Lincoln Clay, a disenfranchised Vietnam veteran, returning from combat and looking for a home and a place to belong. Orphaned as a child, Lincoln at last achieves a semblance of family with the city’s black mob, finding the surrogate father and brother he has longed for. But when Lincoln’s new family is betrayed and slaughtered by the Italian mob, he becomes fixated on revenge and wages a brutal war against the Italians, disrupting the balance of power in the seedy underworld of New Orleans. As the story progresses, Lincoln allies himself with other criminals and builds an empire and a new family of his own that transforms the city.

Throughout the riveting story of Mafia III, players choose their path to revenge and build their own crime empire using cunning, stalking and deception, or through overwhelming force and firepower. Mafia III combines the best of cinematic storytelling with a dynamic narrative structure that responds to player choices, set in a vibrant city that responds to Lincoln’s actions.

“The Mafia franchise is known for its immersive sense of time and place, and for presenting compelling stories about life within organized crime,” said Haden Blackman, studio head and creative director at Hanger 13. “In Mafia III, we are introducing players to an unexpected new anti-hero and an iconic city to explore, all within a hard-boiled drama set during one of the most turbulent years in American history.”

Mafia III will be available in calendar 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system and Windows PC. Mafia III is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on Mafia III, subscribe on YouTube, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and visit http://MafiaGame.com.

2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO).

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, the innovative Evolve™, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise*. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2k.com.

*According to 2008 - 2015 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through June 2015.

About Hangar 13

Located at 2K headquarters in Novato, California, Hangar 13 is the newest studio to design and develop games under the 2K publishing label. With a team of fantastic talent built from some of the most well-known studios in the industry, Hangar 13 is aiming to use its own proprietary technology to advance the art of player-driven experiences, creating games that will become industry benchmarks.

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Source: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

2K Brian Roundy, 415-507-7532 pr@2k.com or Access PR for 2K Alexandra Ellis, 917-522-3515 aellis@accesspr.com or Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Alan Lewis, 646-536-2983 Corporate Press alan.lewis@take2games.com