Bloodlines 2 Was Nearly Cancelled Earlier This Year
Well, that "sucks". While the vampires of the Bloodlines franchise prepare to spread their wings and sink their teeth into the fresh necks of a bloodthirsty gaming fandom, it turns out Paradox Interactive nearly staked Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 in the heart.
Set in the same lore as the World of Darkness tabletop games, 2004's Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was a video game version of White Wolf's tabletop that premiered to mixed reviews and poor sales when it went against Half-Life 2. With Bloodlines earning a cult following, the long-awaited sequel has been a labour of love - that nearly never happened.
What happened to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2?
It's safe to say Bloodlines 2 had a tough time of it. Paradox has wrangled the rights from original developer Hardsuit Labs, and according to returning CEO Fredrik Wester, it was this that nearly led to its cancellation. Still, Paradox still won't reveal who is making the game or even when it's going to be out.
As featured on Swedish news agency (via Rock Paper Shotgun) Wester explained, "When we removed the game from the original developer we took a long look at whether we should cancel it or continue development. We were prepared to stop production completely, but we received a pitch that was persuasive enough for us to continue with. We have high hopes that this will be a good game that meets our players' desires."
When pushed on who has the reins to Bloodlines 2 now, Wester promised it's being handled "by a very reputable and talented developer" that already has several high-profile games under its belt. Sadly, he had nothing else to add in terms of updates.
Why did Paradox nearly axe Bloodlines 2?
The sorry state of affairs kicked off shortly after Bloodlines 2 was announced for PC in 2019. Hardsuit quickly confirmed a slew of delays, and although it was expected to arrive last year, Paradox distanced itself from designer Chris Avellone in the midst of allegations of sexual assault.
Lead Narrative Designer Brian Mitsoda and Creative Director Ka'ai Clune were fired from their roles, while Paradox later announced Senior Narrative Designer Cara Ellison had has stepped away from the project.
The pandemic also took its toll, however, it looked like the final nail in the coffin when Paradox delayed the title indefinitely, cancelled preorders, and delivered the following statement: "In order to meet our goals, we've come to the conclusion that a change is needed and, as a result, more development time is required".
If you're hoping for Bloodlines 3, Wester has said there has to be a "wait and see approach". We're not particularly superstitious here, but the word "cursed" has been thrown a lot when it comes to Bloodlines 2. There's still a loyal legion of vampiric fans that are thirsty for more, and while Paradox doesn't have an updated release, at least we know Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is out there somewhere.
