We believe that the saga of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is slowly crawling towards its happy ending. Hence, we try to explain its rocky beginnings and wrap up everything we know about the upcoming game.
The series
The first Vampire: The Masquerade title is a tabletop RPG that started the World of Darkness line in 1991. It is set in a gothic-punk version of the modern world, where players assume the roles of vampires (kindred). Its first video game adaptation, an RPG called Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption, came out in 2000. Four years later, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was released. Despite disappointing sales, the game was praised by critics and players, who were amazed by the complexity of the world and the freedom of choice given to players. Moreover, it has built up a cult status over the years. Therefore, many fans have awaited a sequel. Their hopes vanished after Troika, the game’s developer, ceased to exist in 2005. However, they revived 10 years later because Paradox Interactive acquired White Wolf Publishing, the publisher behind the World of Darkness series.
They were right, as the new owner intended to utilize its recently purchased IP. Paradox teased the Bloodlines sequel in 2019 and announced that the game would be released in March 2020. As you know, it didn’t come out. However, some other titles have let players delve into the grim gothic world of Vampire: The Masquerade. A Polish studio, Draw Distance, released a visual novel called Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York in December 2019. It was followed by a stand-alone expansion, Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York, in September 2020. In May 2022, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong, an RPG developed by Big Bad Wolf, came out. Unfortunately, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has somehow disappeared from the picture.
Developer
Hardsuit Labs pitched the Bloodlines 2 sequel to Paradox shortly after the acquisition of White Wolf. The project was greenlit. Some exciting names were involved, including the people behind the first Bloodlines game: designer Brian Mitsoda and composer Rik Schaffer. The game’s working title was Project Fraiser because Bloodlines 2 was to be set in Seattle, like the Fraiser TV series.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was officially announced in 2019, and Paradox even revealed an extended gameplay trailer at E3 2019. It was supposed to come out in early 2020, but the premiere was postponed several times. In the meantime, some key people at both Paradox and Hardsuit Labs were fired. Furthermore, Brian Mitsoda and writer Cara Ellison left the project.
Finally, in February 2021, Paradox revealed that it had terminated Hardsuit Labs from the project. Even though the company stated that it entrusted Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 to another studio, most players believed the game was stone-cold dead. Luckily, the game turned out to be like a vampire: undead and well-considered. At PAX West in September 2023, Paradox presented a new trailer and revealed that The Chinese Room had been developing Bloodlines 2 after Hardsuit Labs. The new studio is known for award-winning adventure games, including Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
World and plot
The initial setting hasn’t been changed. Consequently, Bloodlines 2 will take players to Seattle. You will assume the role of an ancient vampire entangled in the battle for power over the vampire court. As a result, you will play a pivotal role, and your deeds and decisions will determine the future of the city.
Gameplay
To stay faithful to the original game, Bloodlines 2 will grant players many meaningful choices and general freedom. Once again, players can pick a clan they want to join. Each faction offers different powers, called disciplines, and has its own unique agenda. The list of playable clans will be announced by the end of 2023.
As vampires, players will feed on humans. To suck their blood, they can use persuasion or unnatural powers to lure their prey into a dark alley. Avoiding random witnesses is crucial, as being exposed makes you a target, at first for the police but later for some darker entities. Obviously, vampires aren’t defenseless, so the game offers immersive combat. We will learn much more about the mechanics at the beginning of 2024 because the Chinese Room promised to reveal a full-length gameplay video in January.
Release and platforms
The precise premiere date hasn’t been revealed yet. So far, we only know that Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 should come out in late 2024. It will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S
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