Mafia III has drawn controversy among Irish and Northern Irish politicians over a mission that has players indirectly assisting the IRA.
The game’s protagonist, Lincoln Clay, is tasked with stealing several vehicles for Thomas Burke, a figure in the Irish mob. Burke claims that the cars are to “keep the Belfast law guessing when things go boom” at the behest of the IRA.
Mafia III is set in 1968, leading many to assume that the vehicles are intended for use in what became known as The Troubles, a decades long period of sectarian violence between paramilitaries with Irish republican ties and the British security forces. During this time, car bombs were used extensively, particularly during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Unionist politicians such as DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson have expressed concern over the depiction of the violence. In a statement given to the Irish News Donaldson said, “Whilst this game may seem to be a work of fiction for some, it could be seen as trivializing the suffering of innocent victims and the evil that is represented by all forms of terrorism.”
2K Games has yet to comment on the mission.
A video of the mission in question can be found below from YouTuber Hippo Reddy.