2K Games have commented on the release date of their upcoming Mafia 3 after an image of a supposed release date leak was sent to IGN. The original image, a photo taken at a Best Buy store, suggested that players could expect to get their hands on the third instalment of the Mafia series as early as April 26th.
This date was also corroborated by pre-order cards for the game at Gamestop, where the predicted release date was suggested as being the same. Following receipt of the leaked information, IGN reached out to 2K Games and the developer responded with the following statement:
Mafia 3 will release in calendar 2016 during Take-Two Interactive’s fiscal year 2017. No official release date has been announced at this time. It is common practice for retailers to list placeholder dates before an official release date has been announced due to the requirements of their operating systems.
The response from 2K seems intent on removing any potential truth behind the leaks, but for two retailers to have listed exactly the same date seems like it could be due to far more than just a happy coincidence.
While we do know that Mafia 3 will be releasing this year, the next few weeks could see the official date confirmed once and for all. Let’s all just hope that Best Buy and Gamestop weren’t so wrong after all.