Mafia 4 happening amid 2K Games management shake up

2K Games developer Hangar 13 loses two high-profile leads as the studio starts work on the next Mafia game.

Hangar 13, the developer behind the popular Mafia games, is getting a core leadership shake up as the studio pivots from original IPs over to its mainstay hit mobster franchise. A new Mafia game built on Unreal Engine 5 is currently in early stages of development, sources tell Kotaku. The project is supposedly a prequel.

Today the studio announced that Haden Blackman, who served as president of Hangar 13 for 9 years, is leaving. Haden says he "built Hangar 13 from one individual developer into a talented, cross-functional team operating across locations in California and the Czech Republic," helping oversee development of Mafia III and the ambitious remaster collection.

Although the most high profile departure, Haden isn't the only one leaving Hangar 13.

Former studio chief operating officer Matthew Urban is also leaving. Urban helped the studio develop a "five-year plan and ensured that the studio delivers on its financial and product commitments." It's worth noting Urban served as COO for 2.5 years, only half of the five-year plan he planned out.

The news comes after Take-Two Interactive cancelled Hangar 13's new IP Project Volt and took a $53 million write-down on the loss.