What you need to know
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is being delayed out of 2024, and is now expected to arrive at some point in 2025.
- This role-playing game was first in development at Hardsuit Labs, before development restarted at The Chinese Room in 2021.
- The game centers around an Elder vampire named Phyre waking up in Seattle during a snowstorm as a vampiric power struggle unfolds.
The long-awaited bloodsucking sequel role-players have hoped after for years needs more time before it’s ready.
Developer The Chinese Room and publisher Paradox Interactive shared the news on Tuesday that Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was being delayed past its expected Fall 2024 release window, and will now be launching at some point in the first half of 2025. This delay is for overall quality and polishing, and the game is currently in the “late production” cycle of development, per creative director Alex Skidmore.
“Earlier this year, Paradox reaffirmed its commitments to making quality games. That’s especially true for Bloodlines 2. It’s an important game to Paradox Interactive, and to World of Darkness,” says Mattias Lilja, deputy CEO at Paradox Interactive, in a development update video. You can watch the video below:
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has had a long road to launch. The sequel to 2004’s cult classic role-playing game was first announced back in 2019, with Seattle-based studio Hardsuit Labs leading development. In February 2021, after some key departures, Paradox Interactive announced that the game was being delayed out of 2021 and that Hardsuit Labs would no longer be working on it.
In 2023, the title was revived with the news that The Chinese Room had taken over development. The Chinese Room kept the Seattle setting for the game, but altered many other aspects including the gameplay and especially the narrative.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 now sees players take on the role of a reawakened Elder vampire named Phyre. Seattle is undergoing vampiric political turmoil as well as as a massive snowstorm that is rolling in.
Whenever it arrives, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is slated to be available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (including Steam and GOG), and PlayStation 5.
Analysis: Hoping for the best
This game has had an extremely tumultuous development cycle, and I’ve got a fair bit of skepticism at a long of things. Ultimately however, it’s clear Paradox and The Chinese Room want this game to be a success, so I’m hopeful that this delay means a more polished gameplay experience and a tighter narrative that rewards player actions.
The original Bloodlines is renowned for the freedom it granted players, and there’s a good reason for the modern joke that every time you mention it, someone reinstalls it. I’ve been hopeful for the sequel ever since former editor Carli Velocci wrote a preview about what to expect. Even if the game has changed massively, Seattle is calling for blood.
