It’d be lying if we said we didn’t see this one coming. In a statement made as part of its latest earnings, Paradox Interactive announced that developer Hardsuit Labs is no longer working on Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 and that the game would not release in 2021. The publisher has tasked a yet-to-be-named developer to complete the game.
In the words of the publisher;
We have now chosen to postpone the release of [Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2] further, and we will not be launching the game in 2021. We have also decided that Hardsuit Labs will no longer be leading the development of Bloodlines 2, and we have started a collaboration with a new studio partner to finish work on the game. This has been a difficult decision, but we are convinced that it is the right way forward to do the game justice.
It seems as if Bloodlines 2 was doomed from the start. From the removal of Chris Avellone due to sexual harassment allegations to the firing of lead writer Brian Mitsoda (the key person who pitched the game)and Creative Director Ka’ai Cluney without notice, as well as numerous delays has left fans of the original skeptical regarding the future of this sequel.
The publisher has also stopped taking in pre-orders for the time being. None of this is reassuring news and not to mention the fact that switching developer mid-production is not a pleasant experience for anyone involved.
It remains to be seen how this drastic step in development affects the much-awaited RPG sequel.