Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Gets New Developer After Stepping Out of the Dark
After a tumultuous journey through development, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has finally emerged, following Paradox Interactive’s separation from Hardsuit Labs and the subsequent indefinite delay. The publisher has enlisted The Chinese Room, known for their work on Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, to take over the sequel to the beloved 2004 RPG. Fans can now expect Bloodlines 2 to be released in the autumn of 2024.
The Chinese Room has kept some of the original concepts and discarded others to reshape Bloodlines 2 in its own vision. The setting of modern-day Seattle is preserved, as is some of the Hardsuit level and art design. However, creative director Alex Skidmore told PC Gamer that the game now features “a new code base with different game mechanics and RPG systems.” You play as an older vampire instead of the fresh face you may be familiar with from the original game. , although the main character has been in stasis for some time, so you get used to the winter environment at the same time as them.
This is a new kind of challenge for The Chinese Room, which until now has focused on atmospheric walking simulators with an air of mystery, as Polygon points out. Just like its latest project, the studio has endured its own issues over the years. It almost shut down completely in 2017 due to funding issues before Sumo Digital took over and revived it (Sumo Digital itself later found a new owner in the form of Tencent).
We’ll find out more about what The Chinese Room has in store for fans in the coming months. Paradox plans to discuss Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 in more depth in January.
