Next Vampire: The Masquerade game from Draw Distance, codenamed Project Cardinal

[Roguey]

This was announced in March 2021, but it seems to have slipped by everyone on this forum: https://www.gamepressure.com/newsro...d-draw-distance-cooperate-on-a-new-rpg/zd2f2c

Draw Distance and Paradox Interactive Cooperate on a New RPG

Draw Distance will develop another game in cooperation with Paradox Interactive. It's codename is Project Cardinal and it's said to be bigger than the previous two games by the team, namely Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York.

...

As we read on StockWatch.pl [in polish], Project Cardinal will be an RPG based on the license of one of the franchises owned by Paradox Interactive. The IP was not specified, but it's possible that it will be Vampire: The Masquerade again. It was emphasized, however, that the upcoming title will be much larger and more expansive than Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York and Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York, which were focused primarily on storytelling, with gameplay in the background.

...


According to Mielcarek, continuing to work with Paradox is a chance for Draw Distance to spread its wings. To quote his words:

"By developing and releasing games from the Vampire: The Masquerade series, we have won Paradox's trust and today we're enjoying the fruits. We're working more closely together, and we've been given green light to continue growth in self-publishing. All this is proof of our partner's great trust and satisfaction with our work so far."

The timing is certainly curious, however, to get ahead of things, I'm confident this is not Bloodlines 2 considering the first piece of concept art a Draw Distance artist decided to post on her ArtStation (Was this legally proper? I dunno. I'm going to back up some but not all of them in case she's forced to delete).

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/5BLOA8 (psst, in the filename she refers to these characters as "hunters")

9 Characters

For an undisclosed project at Drawn Distance.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/b5y3ag (some freaky looking monster's face)

Two-Faced

More art for an undisclosed project for Draw Distance. Needless to say; it's right up my alley.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/d0NwJK (another weird monster)

Two

Even more work for an undisclosed Draw Distance Project. Very much something I loved doing.
Sketches and slightly more worked through designs both.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mzGP29

Harlequin Ichthyosis Monster

Don't Google it. - Draw Distance work.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/wJzPRZ

E-Thot Boss Galore

Had this great idea of an e-thot boss with an army of simps.
I also made her a neat streaming studio in Unreal Engine.
Good times. <3

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4X0daL

Isometric-ish Gloom and Doom

A gloomy street view highlighting class disparities for an unannounced project at Drawn Distance. Made with Unreal Engine and then overpainted for the sake of concepting out the finer details.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Ze4Vdm

Party Goers

Couple of characters for a mask ball type event. Logomania kinda vibes. Draw Distance.

Curve-ball time! https://www.artstation.com/artwork/KOKyqB

Alien landscape concepts

Exploration of different alien biomes for Draw Distance. Made with a mixture on Photoshop and Unreal Engine.

That one's likely from a different game altogether. But maybe the sci-fi one is actually the Paradox RPG?

Regardless of whatever it is, keep in mind these are cringepoles, so expect writing of this quality:

 

[Wunderbar]

If not for the visual novel dev, based on those pieces of concept art i would've thought it's another one of those clownshit multiplayer shooters with quirky characters.

 

[Roguey]

If not for the visual novel dev, based on those pieces of concept art i would've thought it's another one of those clownshit multiplayer shooters with quirky characters.

If it's the property I believe it is, it's very much on brand.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fq0AAOSwmNFfb6ce/s-l1600.jpg
https://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/hunter-the-reckoning-wayward/cover-art/gameCoverId,30759/

 

[whydoibother]

Hunter: The Reckoning is part of World of Darkness, and Paradox said they are making a few games set there. One already released, the VtM visual novel type thing. One is in development hell, Bloodlines 2. This is probably a third.

If not for the visual novel dev, based on those pieces of concept art i would've thought it's another one of those clownshit multiplayer shooters with quirky characters.

That one already released

 

[Baron Dupek]

Last pic gives me some deja vu...

 

[karoliner]

Is literally Hunter the Vigil/Reckoning. With big titty vampire.

 

[luj1]

And these 9 characters are what?

NPCs or potential PCs?

 

[Roguey]

More leaked in-engine images though the poster doesn't give a source for them (they're not from the other artist's artstation, I checked) https://www.reddit.com/r/LeaksAndRu..._images_on_the_unannounced_project_from_draw/

The last few images make it really apparent this will likely be a Hunter game.

 

[GentlemanCthulhu]

I think this is more likely to be vtmb2 related than the Chinese Room rumor, unless I missed something.

 

[whydoibother]

More leaked in-engine images though the poster doesn't give a source for them (they're not from the other artist's artstation, I checked) https://www.reddit.com/r/LeaksAndRu..._images_on_the_unannounced_project_from_draw/

My name is not important. What is important is what I'm going to do.

 

[Roguey]

Moller deleted the sci-fi concepts. Whoops, guess those were the only ones she wasn't allowed to show.

I think this is more likely to be vtmb2 related than the Chinese Room rumor, unless I missed something.

It's Hunter: The Reckoning. None of those monsters look appropriate for a Vampire: The Masquerade game which they'd know since they've already made 2 VNs in the setting. There's also all the hunters in the first concept and the hunter safehouses in the last set of pics.

 

[Ibn Sina]

The last two projects don't really inspire confidence. The VNs they made was dripping with soy and nu cappuccino writing. The Ethot being an eldritch monster with an army of simps and a demonic tongue coming out of her vag is a fucking amazing idea (but i doubt it will be added to whatever they are making).

 

[Roguey]

The Ethot being an eldritch monster with an army of simps and a demonic tongue coming out of her vag is a fucking amazing idea (but i doubt it will be added to whatever they are making).

She has the Draw Distance logo on the thumbnail in the gallery. Given all the work put into making that streaming studio environment, it'd be unfortunate for it to go to waste.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

Is literally Hunter the Vigil/Reckoning. With big titty vampire.

I only wish Vigil got a video game adaptation. It has a lot of interesting concepts because the writers had a blank cheque to be creative.

Reckoning 5e really isn’t anything at all like Vigil. Beyond being less creative overall, it goes out of its way to demonize “orgs”. Half the fun of Vigil was the orgs, so it’s hard not to get the feeling this is supposed to be a stealth middle finger towards Vigil fans… and Orpheus fans, because the Orpheus Group is presented as one of the evil antagonistic orgs.

It’s become increasingly clear that Paradox only bought the IP to cash in on brand name recognition while pushing what they clearly wanted to be completely original settings, alienating many fans of the source material. If Paradox didn’t like the source material, then they should be honest about it and make original IP instead.

Like the rest of these modern companies that pointlessly bastardize old IPs, I think Paradox can get fucked.

 

[mondblut]

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/5BLOA8 (psst, in the filename she refers to these characters as "hunters")

9 Characters

Someone tell the "hunter" on the left that flintlock muskets don't have a pistol grip.

 

[Peachcurl]

9 Characters, and all of them male.

Uh... based?

 

[Cricket McBangle]

Looks like it might be an isometric game based on those in-engine screenshots.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

guaranteed disco clone

 

[Roguey]

I've done some more digging and found out that Draw Distance was also in pre-production on another game codenamed Swan, but that was cancelled earlier this year (this was likely the source of the the now-deleted sci-fi concept art). A financial report from a few days ago confirms Project Cardinal is still going.

In the third quarter of 2022, work continued on the game "Project Cardinal" realized in cooperation with work with Paradox Interactive AB, and thanks to worth in the second quarter annex to the contract license agreement covering the game in question, on the basis of on which the work schedule was changed on the project, the Company could concentrate its their production activities on the game "Serial Cleaners", and then in addition to it. Payments for milestones in the scope of "Project Cardinal" are planned for 2023 and 2024.

Planned release date of 2024-25 gives em roughly three years, about right for an RPG. But this or Bloodlines 2, which will come out first? I imagine Paradox doesn't want two World of Darkness RPGs cannibalizing each other's sales.

(and meanwhile, what is going on with Harebrained Schemes? They had a job description mentioning they were working on a turn-based horror game at one point; one assumes that's also World of Darkness-related)

 

[Vincente]

(and meanwhile, what is going on with Harebrained Schemes? They had a job description mentioning they were working on a turn-based horror game at one point; one assumes that's also World of Darkness-related)

Arent they zombies at this point, doing outsource work? Their lead engineer went to Microsoft, and their lead artist to Blizzard. Shadowrun: Hong Kong lead designer went to Bungie, too, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Roguey]

Arent they zombies at this point, doing outsource work? Their lead engineer went to Microsoft, and their lead artist to Blizzard. Shadowrun: Hong Kong lead designer went to Bungie, too, if I'm not mistaken.

As I wrote back in February they have two projects in development, both turn-based and on Unity. They also hired three new writers. It is concerning that we're now three years since the last Battletech DLC and they haven't announced anything, and it appears as if the stress of dev hell is getting to them.

 

[Roguey]

Another financial report released last week, and a progress update:

By the end of March 2022, the company has completed work on the first playable demo of the project, accepted by the contractor. Then she started working on the implementation of the next production stage. In June 2022, the Company signed with Paradox In- teractive annex to the existing contract, under the pond where the beach has been shifted so far new release date of the game from 2023 to 2024. The game is planned to be released in the PC version personal and consoles.

Starting development of an RPG in 2021 and expecting a 2023 release date was ridiculously optimistic, a delay to 2024 was inevitable. Actual announcement later this year (along with Bloodlines 2? )

 

[Roguey]

Troubles ahead. Apparently Paradox is having money problems, because Draw Distance has decided that Paradox will no longer be co-funding this and they're looking for another publisher, leaving Paradox as simply the license holder.

https://biznes.pap.pl/espi/pl/reports/view/2,538516#pvy7zfso61

Pursuant to the provisions of the annex, the Company will now focus on finding a publisher interested in financing the project in question. At the same time, the Company is entitled to suspend development work on the Game. The other provisions of the annex are covered by business secrets. The signing of this annex is motivated by the Company's intended change in the strategy for financing the project in question, which originally provided for joint financing of the project by the Company and Paradox, which, given the current economic conditions, is not optimal in the Company's opinion. In the opinion of the Management Board of the Company, establishing cooperation with an external publisher will allow for more favorable development of the Game. If an external publisher is found to implement the project, the role of Paradox will be limited to the role of the IP licensor on which the Game is based.

"the Company is entitled to suspend development work on the Game." So much for 2023 I guess.

In slightly-related news they've also extended their license to make Vampire: The Masequerade games through May 29, 2029. More visual novels or perhaps something with gameplay? https://biznes.pap.pl/espi/pl/reports/view/2,538519

 

[Tyranicon]

Making RPGS is cursed. Probably shoulda just made more VNs.

 

[Tyrr]

After years of bad releases, Paradox is finally running out of money?