Haden Blackman steps down as Mafia 3 developer Hangar 13's studio head and founder

Haden Blackman, the founder of Mafia 3 and Mafia: Definitive Edition developer Hangar 13, is stepping down as studio head and will leave parent company 2K, it has been revealed. Blackman will be replaced by Nick Baynes, who has 30 years of industry leadership experience and joined Hanger 13 in 2018 to start Hanger 13 Brighton. He was responsible for launching Mafia: Definitive Edition and the Mafia Trilogy.

Here’s the internal communication released by 2K.

Hello team,

It’s with mixed emotions that I share with you several leadership updates from Hangar 13. Haden Blackman is stepping down as Studio Head of Hangar 13, and is leaving the company to pursue his passion at a new endeavor. We are grateful for Haden’s leadership in establishing Hangar 13, building and uniting teams in Novato, Brighton and Czech, and releasing multiple studio-defining Mafia games and collections. What Haden helped build will continue to carry forward and grow for years to come. We support all of our employees pursuing their passions, and we wish nothing but the best for him in what’s next.

Nick Baynes, Studio Head of Hangar 13 Brighton will take over as Studio Head of Hangar 13. With 30 years of industry leadership experience, Nick joined Hangar 13 in 2018 to establish Hangar 13 Brighton, and has spent the last four years growing the team, building up the studio’s capabilities, and launching terrific projects like Mafia: Definitive Edition and the Mafia Trilogy.

I hope you’ll join me in thanking Haden and wishing him the best, and congratulating Nick on a well-deserved promotion. While change can be challenging, it can also breed new opportunities and success.

We are confident the studio is in great hands heading into the multiple projects currently under way, and the team has 2K’s full support.

Blackman spent his early game development years at at LucasArts. Blackman continued his freelance writing career. He penned several Star Wars comics, including Jango Fett: Open Seasons, Star Wars: Starfighter, and Darth Vader & The Ghost Prison, among many other titles.

Mafia III is a 2016 action-adventure video game developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. It was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, in May 2017 for macOS, and in October 2021 for Google Stadia. It is the sequel to Mafia II and the third installment in the Mafia series.

Hangar 13 is an American video game developer based in Novato, California, in the area of the former Hamilton Air Force Base. Established with Haden Blackman in December 2014 as a division of 2K, the company's debut game was Mafia III, released in October 2016.

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