Paradox Interactive and developer The Chinese Room have announced yet another Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 delay, with the game now not set to launch until sometime next year.
This news comes via a new post on the game’s Steam page, in which the two studios confirm that the release window for Bloodlines 2 has been “updated to the first half of 2025”. It was previously slated to release some time this fall.
Paradox says the decision to delay was “proactive”, and was derived from a “commitment to delivering high-quality games to our players”. I’m not sure whether the Cities: Skylines 2 community might have something to say about that one.
The publisher goes on to say that although Bloodlines 2 was apparently “in a good enough place” that the previously-announced release window could have been maintained, Paradox and The Chinese Room decided instead to “prioritize polish”.
Somewhat paradoxically, however (ahem), Paradox then says the extra development time will be used to give “more time between testing and launch, ensuring we release the game when it’s ready”.
Other adjustments will be made during the interim, however; Paradox and The Chinese Room say they’ll be able to expand Bloodlines 2‘s story as a result of the extra development time, and that the game will now feature “more than twice as many endings” as the first Bloodlines, which had five.
More information will be released between now and Bloodlines 2‘s eventual launch; we’ll learn more about game elements like social feeding, factions, and various different characters ahead of the game’s release.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has had a rather long and strange journey. The game was first announced back in 2019, with developer Hardsuit Labs then set to handle development duties on the project.
It was then delayed numerous times before original narrative designer Brian Mitsoda was removed from the project, along with Hardsuit Labs, in early 2021.
Following that, it was revealed in September last year that the game’s development would continue, now spearheaded by Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs developer The Chinese Room. That’s also when the original fall 2024 release window was announced.
You’ll be able to get your hands on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 when it arrives next year for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S (assuming it’s not delayed again, of course). Stay tuned for more.
