Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has a new developer on board.
Paradox Interactive recently announced it found another developer to work on one of its most "ambitious projects" after its last developer, Hardsuit Labs, left its development.
Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester previously stated that the game would be released almost definitely sometime in 2024 if it wouldn't be released in 2023.
Meet The Chinese Room
The Chinese Room, the game developer behind games like Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, has its work cut out for it. The development of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 wasn't easy as it experienced multiple departures from some to the entire development team along the way.
However, that doesn't mean that The Chinese Room must start from scratch. According to an Engadget report, the game developer has the benefit of retaining some of the original concepts while doing away with others to reframe the game in its vision.
As a result, the game's setting, a modern-day Seattle, along with some of Hardsuit's level and art design, remain unchanged. However, creative director Alex Skidmore told PC Gamer that Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has a new code base featuring different gameplay mechanics and RPG systems.
Instead of playing as a newcomer to the world of vampires, players will put on the shoes of an elder vampire who has been in stasis for some time. As such, they'll need to get re-acquainted with the times and Seattle's wintry setting - just like in The Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2's original concept.
Since the elder vampire woke up from stasis, according to Skidmore, players can fill in the character they wish to roleplay as they go. However, their past deeds made them into an established thing that players will understand as "aspirational," as Skidmore puts it.
They will then find out that the city is under siege on three fronts and that a power vacuum exists in the vampire court, which has split into three factions. Whether The Chinese Room intends to have the elder vampire join or create a faction to fill this vacuum is unclear.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Release Date
However, there is some hope that Paradox Interactive will release it in the foreseeable future to answer such questions. A report from Polygon stated that The Chinese Room took over Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2's development not long after Paradox parted ways with Hardsuit in 2021.
As such, the game's release date could be sometime in fall 2024. However, Gameranx's report suggests that a 2024 release could be a possibility rather than a guarantee; gamers should probably take any news about the game's release date with a grain of salt.
At any rate, Paradox plans to discuss Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 in depth in Jan. 2024. Whether it will confirm if it will release Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 in fall 2024 during that event remains to be seen.
