Paradox Interactive's two month-long Tender ARG concluded as expected last night with the announcement of a new Vampire: The Masquerade RPG by Hardsuit Labs. What was less expected is that the game turned out to be not just a Vampire RPG, not merely inspired by Bloodlines, but a full-blown Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 with Brian Mitsoda himself onboard as lead narrative designer. The game is indeed set in Seattle, with the player taking on the role of a clanless "thin-blood" vampire recently converted in an illicit Mass Embrace. After escaping execution by the vampire court thanks to a mysterious firebombing, you'll find yourself on the streets and begin your new life as an up-and-coming vampire. Bloodlines 2 has quietly been in development since 2016, but for now all Paradox are willing to reveal of it in public is this cinematic announcement trailer, carefully labelled "NOT ACTUAL GAMEPLAY".


However, members of the press did get to see a private thirty minute demo of the game, and their impressions are quite positive. According to their previews, it's very much in the spirit of the original Bloodlines, with much-improved combat, immersive sim-style exploration, and a focus on factional choice & consequence. Here's a round-up of all the previews we've been able to track down:

Unlike a certain other game, Bloodlines 2 will be launching simultaneously on Steam, GOG and everywhere else. In fact, it's already available for preorder - $60 for a standard edition, $70 for one that includes a bunch of item DLCs, and $90 for the Season Pass edition (three story expansions are already planned). The game is currently scheduled for release a year from now, on March 2020. Let the drama begin!