But we won’t see it at this year’s PDXCon
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has been a pretty troubled development. It’s been delayed, lost leads, changed hands, and more. Today, we did get some reassurances that Bloodlines 2 is still in development, though we may not be seeing the results of that as soon as some would like.
Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester recently responded to concerned Bloodlines 2 fans on Twitter. Wester assured that Bloodlines 2 is in development, and more will be revealed when they are ready. He reiterated the statement on his timeline, with a follow-up: “The game is in good hands and we look forward to showing you more when the team and the game is ready.”
Since I get this question on Twitter every now and then, I think this information might be of interest to at least a few of you: https://t.co/LgZ7oqsa4j
— Fredrik Wester (@TheWesterFront) July 19, 2022
Whose hands those are is still one major question. In February 2021, Paradox announced that it was taking developer Hardsuit Labs off Bloodlines 2, and that it would no longer make its then-planned 2021 launch.
Prior to that, Bloodlines 2 was announced with some excitement and original Bloodlines writer and designer Brian Mitsoda on the project. It even showcased almost 30 minutes of gameplay in 2019. Then the project was delayed, citing the need for more time to deliver a proper Bloodlines successor.
Mitsoda later left the project, alongside creative director Ka’ai Cluney and senior narrative designer Cara Ellison. The project was delayed, and after Bloodlines 2 moved out, Hardsuit Labs faced a round of layoffs. While development is now proceeding, Paradox is declining to name the studio that’s currently working on it, so they can “focus fully” on game development.
The night carries on
After all that, Wester’s comments indicate Bloodlines 2 is still in the works. We’ll have to wait for more details, it seems, and wait a while longer at that. When asked if fans would get a peak at the project during this year’s PDXCon, which runs September 2 through 3, Wester said not this time.
It’s nice to know the project’s still alive, though it seems like it’s been quite the journey for all involved. In comments made last October, Wester even said that Bloodlines 2 was almost cancelled. But apparently a pitch came in that was convincing enough to keep the Vampire game afloat. Hopefully we’ll see what that is soon enough.
