Mafia: The Old Country isn’t an open-world game like some of the previous titles in the franchise. Instead, it’s a linear action game set inside large, detailed areas that offer some freedom. However, a new upcoming update will add a more traditional open-world mode to the recently released game.
On August 14, developer Hangar 13 posted a message on social media thanking players for all the “love and loyalty” following the launch of Mafia: The Old Country earlier this month. But the message also contained an announcement: The Old Country will get a “Free Ride” mode in a free future update.
“Today, we’re excited to confirm Free Ride is on its way,” posted Hangar 13 on Twitter. “Expect some new activities and gameplay, arriving free for all players in the coming months.”
Mafiosi—thanks for the love and loyalty you’ve shown #MafiaTheOldCountry since launch.
Today, we’re excited to confirm 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞 is on its way! Expect some new activities and gameplay, arriving free for all players in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/FqJ3UU9brG
— Mafia Game (@mafiagame) August 14, 2025
Currently, Mafia: The Old Country does include a “Free Roam” option known as Exploration, but this mode is pretty boring and doesn’t feature enemies, missions, activities, or much to do. You can find and grab missed collectibles and clean up some other loose ends, but for the most part, it’s an empty world devoid of anything to do. That won’t be the case with this new open-world-esque “Free Ride” mode. And while we don’t have any more details about Free Ride in Old Country just yet, we can look at the most recent release in the series to see what to expect.
Free Ride was a mode present in Mafia: The Definitive Edition, Hangar 13’s remastered version of the original Mafia game released back in 2020. It let players run around the game’s city and countryside freely and added new missions, races, and even some wackier content involving rituals and aliens. It was unlocked after beating the first mission in the game. I would assume Free Ride in Old Country will be similar in scope and scale. If that’s the case, many players who missed the more open-world format of Mafia III will be happy to have something bigger and more free-roaming to sink their teeth into when it arrives at some unspecified date in the “coming months.”