Mafia III Stones Unturned is the second story expansion for Hangar 13 and 2K Games' open-world crime title Mafia III. Originally launched on May 30, 2017, and later included in Mafia III: Definitive Edition, the expansion pulls CIA handler John Donovan out of his motel room to fight directly alongside Lincoln Clay.
The campaign clocks in at roughly 2.5 hours for the main narrative and about 3 hours for 100% completion, shifting the action from the streets of New Bordeaux to an uncharted tropical island base.
How to Start the Stones Unturned DLC
To access Stones Unturned, you must first progress through the main campaign of Mafia III up to the story mission "Sit Down." During this milestone, Lincoln establishes his criminal syndicate by uniting all three lieutenants: Cassandra, Thomas Burke, and Vito Scaletta.
Once "Sit Down" is completed, John Donovan contacts Lincoln over the radio to request an in-person meeting. This makes Stones Unturned unique among the game's expansions, as it is the only DLC initiated by an audio call directly from your quest contact. Following the map marker leads you to Villa del Mar, a Cuban restaurant in the French Ward, kicking off the opening mission, "Creature of Habit."
Storyline and Mission Flow
The narrative centers on a Cold War grudge rooted in the Vietnam War. Donovan discovers that his former CIA colleague, Connor Aldridge, has resurfaced in New Bordeaux. Aldridge is a rogue operative leading a private mercenary army to locate "Devotchka"—the CIA codename for a downed military cargo plane carrying a Soviet R-12 thermonuclear warhead. Aldridge intends to recover the weapon and sell it to a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) general.
The expansion is structured across roughly seven action-heavy story sequences:
- Villa del Mar (French Ward): Lincoln and Donovan arrive at the Cuban restaurant only to find that Aldridge's mercenaries have massacred the patrons and interrogated bartender Horatio Balmana. Lincoln interrogates the sole survivor, Fernando "Chucky," learning Aldridge is pursuing leads on a crashed aircraft.
- Pedro Pan Safe House (Bayou): The duo infiltrates a compromised CIA monitoring facility inside an old bayou distillery, clearing out mercenaries to access mainframe files on Balmana's surviving crew members.
- Westrose Department Store (Frisco Fields): Lincoln and Donovan race to protect Ruben Pasz, a former Cuban defector working as a janitor, escaping an intense shootout and high-speed car chase to extract flight crash coordinates from him.
- The Tropical Island: Lincoln and Donovan travel offshore to an abandoned island where the military aircraft went down. The setting features lush jungle terrain, an abandoned church compound, and heavy mercenary patrols.
- Soviet Silo and Submarine Pen: Designed as a multi-stage linear combat space, Lincoln and Donovan breach an underground Cold War military facility, pushing past fortified defenses, executing room breaches, and fighting Aldridge in a submarine docking bay.
- Extraction: After neutralizing Aldridge and securing the warhead, Lincoln and Donovan load the bomb onto a flatbed and extract via a helicopter flown by Donovan's contact, Gary.
New Weapons, Vehicles, and Gameplay Mechanics
Unlike the base game where Donovan acts exclusively as an intelligence source, Stones Unturned features Donovan as an active, armed AI companion. He provides suppression fire, coordinates tactical movements, and operates vehicles during high-speed combat sections.
Weapons and Combat Features
- GL Korsky: A heavy grenade launcher designed to clear clustered infantry and fortified encampments.
- RPG Korsky: A high-damage rocket launcher capable of eliminating armored targets and defensive positions in a single blast.
- Dormer B128 Dart Gun: A specialized non-lethal handgun firing tranquilizer darts that instantly knock human targets unconscious.
- Vehicle-Mounted 50 Cal Turrets: Several set-piece missions allow Donovan to drive while Lincoln mans a heavy turret to destroy chasing mercenary trucks.
- Marshall's Sniper Support: After progressing with Robert Marshall, players unlock a radio-dispatch service capable of calling in sniper fire to eliminate designated enemy targets.
Vehicle and Cosmetic Unlocks
| Unlockable Item | Item Type | Unlock Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Griffin Borneo Sport | Heavy-duty Fleet Vehicle | Complete the main story missions of Stones Unturned |
| De'Leo Stiletto | Sports Fleet Vehicle | Complete all Robert Marshall Bounty Hunting missions |
| Jungle Camo | Lincoln Outfit | Unlocked during the expansion content |
| Party Animal | Lincoln Outfit | Unlocked during the expansion content |
| Bounty Hunter Decals | Vehicle Customization | Complete bounty hunting side jobs |
Bounty Hunting Side Missions
Once the central narrative of Stones Unturned concludes, Lincoln unlocks an optional bounty hunting questline through Donovan's ex-CIA colleague, Robert Marshall, operating out of New Bordeaux.
Marshall tasks Lincoln with tracking down bail jumpers and fugitive targets across the city. Because dead bounties yield no payout, players must equip the Dormer B128 Dart Gun, incapacitate each target without killing them, stow the unconscious body into the trunk of a vehicle, and deliver them back to Marshall.
Bounty Targets
- Ray Duplass: An anti-war activist facing arrest by the New Bordeaux Police Department for public nudity protests across the French Ward, South Downs, and Downtown.
- Kurt Mancini: A con artist running fraudulent oil lease schemes on local widows, currently pursued by the Dixie Mafia. Lincoln must track his trail through an apartment lease before subduing him.
- Brian Patrick Ali: A high-ranking operative in a Baton Rouge Irish mob family hiding out in the Bayou before making a planned escape to Mexico.
Completing all three bounties concludes Marshall's contract line and unlocks the De'Leo Stiletto for Lincoln's car fleet.
Achievements and Completion Stats
Stones Unturned introduces 10 achievements/trophies, including progression-based unlocks like "Creature of Habit" and "Devotchka."
According to community tracking data from HowLongToBeat, the main story requires approximately 2.5 hours of playtime. Players seeking 100% completion—incorporating the three bounty hunting assignments and related vehicle unlocks—typically finish the expansion in about 3 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to buy Stones Unturned separately?
Stones Unturned was originally sold individually or as part of the Mafia III Season Pass. It is included at no additional cost in Mafia III: Definitive Edition, which bundles all story expansions and weapons packs.
Can Donovan die during combat?
Donovan can be downed by enemy fire during gunfights, triggering a voice prompt where he calls out for assistance. While Lincoln can run over and revive him, Donovan also picks himself up automatically once Lincoln clears the remaining hostiles in the engagement area.
Can you kill bounty targets during Marshall's side missions?
No. Robert Marshall explicitly mandates that targets must be returned alive. If a bounty target dies during the encounter, the mission fails, requiring you to retry the capture using the non-lethal Dormer B128 Dart Gun.
