Announced in 2019, Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 was the sequel nobody really asked for but only because the likelihood of getting a sequel to the cult classic RPG seemed so unlikely. Originally announced with an early 2020 release date, the game has since seen a turbulent development.
The game was delayed several times throughout 2020, with the most notable delay being after a showcase of gameplay for the game released backlash from fans. It was then delayed again with the reason that was given being that they wanted to fix the majority of bugs before release, a problem that the first game suffered from when it was released in 2004. This all culminated with the game being indefinitely delayed when publisher Paradox removed the developer of the game, Hardsuit Labs, from the project.
At the time the publish was told that a new development team was being brought onto the project, though even today it has not been revealed to the public who this new developer is. According to new statements though, it looks like behind the scenes the game was a lot closer to being canceled than previously suggested.
In an interview with the CEO of the company, Fredrik Wester, there was a long review period in which the future of Bloodlines 2 was called into question. He stated, “When we removed the game from the original developer, we had a very long review and in some cases, we nearly finished the game and ran away with it.”
It was during this time that they received what he stated: “Was persuasive enough for us to continue.” This pitch was made by the, as of yet, unnamed developers and ultimately saved the project. According to statements that have been made this team is a “very reputable and talented developer” that has shipped multiple games to this point. That being said, even Paradox has no real idea how the game is going to shape up under this new team.
For fans of the series looking to get their fix of the Vampire The Masquerade universe, outside of the current 5th edition of the tabletop, there are a few options. Currently, a Battle Royale set in the universe is in early access, entitled Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodhunt which is fun when it plays but plagued with technical issues. There are also visual novels that have been released such as Vampire The Masquerade: Coteries of New York. While those games are limited to wading plenty of text they should prove fun enough for people that love the political intrigue of the universe.
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