Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has awoken from its long slumber, with a new studio and release window in tow. Over the weekend, Paradox Interactive confirmed that Bloodlines 2 development is in the hands of The Chinese Room, with a release window of fall 2024.
Bloodlines 2 has been quiet for some time, following what could only be considered a tumultuous development. After delays, departures of its leads, and eventually Paradox removing Hardsuit Labs from the sequel, the Vampire successor has found a new home with The Chinese Room.
It’s an interesting pick, as The Chinese Room is well-known for its narrative adventures. The studio produced Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and is working on another horror experience, Still Wakes the Deep. Now, it’s taking over the sequel to a cult-classic RPG.
Sleepless in Seattle
My immediate question was how much we’d see of Hardsuit’s Bloodlines 2 work in The Chinese Room’s version. In an interview with PC Gamer, Paradox VP of World of Darkness Sean Greaney and Bloodlines 2 creative director Alex Skidmore talked a bit about it.
While Greaney says they “have been able to reuse a significant amount of art and level design” from Hardsuit’s work, Skidmore clarifies that The Chinese Room is utilizing “a new code base with different gameplay mechanics and RPG systems.” You can see some of the original vision in the re-reveal. There’s a look at the snowy holiday atmosphere and its initial Seattle setting. And while The Chinese Room is a surprising pick for an RPG, Skidmore brings some experience; he was a lead designer on Gears Tactics and worked on the Fable series, per PCG.
Where the original Bloodlines 2 pitch had the player taking on the role of a recently turned “thinblood,” The Chinese Room’s Bloodlines 2 will star an “Elder” vampire. We’re due more information soon, as a gameplay reveal is set for January.
It’s a shame we won’t see Hardsuit’s vision, but I’m still curious to see what The Chinese Room makes of a Bloodlines sequel. It’s an interesting choice, but the studio does seem to be doing something a little different in an intriguing way. We’ll learn more in January, ahead of a planned fall 2024 release for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
