Baldur's Gate 3 Publisher Defends Mafia: The Old Country After Swimming Controversy

Mafia: The Old Country has found itself at the center of an oddly specific debate. A user on X pointed out that the game doesn’t allow players to swim — and the post unexpectedly racked up 17 million views.

Some players found the whole thing amusing (“Name me one italian protagonist in a game that actually swims”), while others used it as another reason to criticize the title. One gamer accused the developers of laziness, while another said the team should be ashamed.

The discussion eventually caught the attention of more level-headed voices, including Michael Douse, head of publishing at Larian Studios. Douse explained that studios don’t have infinite budgets and drew a comparison to Baldur’s Gate 3.

Mafia: The Old Country was released on August 7.