Mafia: The Old Country release date revealed and it’s a hint at GTA 6

GTA 6 – maybe Take-Two will accidentally leak its release date (Rockstar Games) Take-Two has accidentally revealed the release date of Mafia: The Old Country and in so doing has helped to narrow down the GTA 6 release date. Although no one will admit it outright, other publishers are terrified of GTA 6 and the effect it’ll have on game sales of other titles this year. The Switch 2 releasing in June, which is very unusual for a new console, is likely Nintendo wanting to avoid any crossover – since GTA 6 is going to eat up every bit of mainstream games coverage once it comes out. There’s also reports that several big name games will be delayed depending on when exactly GTA 6 is released. It’s assumed it will launch this autumn, but Rockstar Games owner Take-Two has said they’re leaving the second trailer, which will likely reveal the release date, to as late as possible. The only way to guess at when it might launch is to consider what other games Take-Two have out this year, since obviously they won’t want to cannibalise their own sales. Borderlands 4 is out on September 23, but it’s been impossible to say whether that will be before or after GTA 6 (although one can assume it’s not within at least two weeks of it either side). But now we know when Take-Two’s Mafia: The Old Country will be out, thanks to an accidental reveal on the game’s Steam page. The fact that the information was quickly removed suggests that not only was it true, but it wasn’t supposed to be known at this time, with Insider Gaming reporting that the original text said: ‘Mafia: The Old Country is available August 8, 2025. Pre-order now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, and stay tuned to the official Mafia website for more information.’ What’s the best guess for GTA 6’s release date? Unlike Borderlands 4, The Old Country does have some thematic and gameplay similarities with GTA 6, so you would think Take-Two would want to be extra sure the two don’t come out anywhere close to each other. A GTA 6 release before August 8 seems very unlikely, so this new information suggests it’s either the mid-point between The Old Country and Borderlands 4, i.e. somewhere around early September, or at least two weeks after September 23. Based on previous Rockstar Game releases, an October launch does seem the most likely but this leak suggests that early September is the absolute earliest you could hope for. What that will mean for other games is unclear and it’s going to be very interesting to see whether yearly sequels like EA Sports FC and Call Of Duty also try and get out of the game’s way. Currently, there aren’t many other big name games scheduled for the autumn but smaller titles like Hell Is Us and Directive 8020 may well decide to get out of the way once GTA 6’s release date is finally confirmed. Surely Mafia: The Old Country wouldn’t come out anywhere near GTA 6 (Take-Two) Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.