Paradox Interactive has finally announced which studio is currently developing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
The project was originally announced in 2019 with a planned release in 2020 and led by Hardsuit Labs studio. However, in August 2020 it was pushed back to 2021 and both the creative director and narrative designer were fired. In February 2021, another delay was announced and Paradox pulled Hardsuit Labs from development.
Shortly thereafter, Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox, announced that the company was on the verge of abandoning the project altogether following the split from Hardsuit Labs, but confirmed that they had found a new development partner but did not want to reveal his name in order to create more add pressure to a troubled development.
Now, after an announcement at PAX West, we know that this studio is The Chinese Room, the British studio responsible for titles like Dear Esther or Everybody’s Gone to Rapture.
It has also been confirmed that gameplay as it is currently in development will finally be shown in January 2024 and the game is expected to hit stores in the fall of 2024 barring further delays.
Ed Daly, director of The Chinese Room, stated, “Vampire: The Masquerade holds a special place in our hearts. The dark setting and complex narrative, based on a modern society, fit perfectly into our studio’s catalogue.”
“Bloodlines 2 is our most ambitious project to date. This game has been eagerly awaited by fans of the franchise and we’re up to the challenge. We brought over fifteen years of award-winning experience to the project and created a game that lives up to the legacy of its predecessor while updating its gameplay for a new era.
Sean Greaney, Vice President of World of Darkness at Paradox, added, “We were immediately impressed with what we saw in The Chinese Room’s proposal for Bloodlines 2. They have a genuine passion for the source material, which makes them ideal story development partners in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade.
“We are committed to making Bloodlines 2 a success. Hiring a studio that shared our vision was critical to us in achieving these goals. Fans of the franchise can rest assured that Bloodlines 2 is in good hands.”
