World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 - VTMB sequel from The Chinese Room - coming early 2025

[Cricket McBangle]

https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/news/saying-goodbye-to-dan-pinchbeck

Time for Bloodlines 2 to become casual mindless filth now that the Ph.D is gone

 

[Roguey]

Sumo Digital paid millions for this guy and all they got out of the deal was a mobile game and part of a running-away simulator. He must be really unhappy with how growth has changed the culture if he's noping out this fast.

^ Much respect for this attitude though.

 

[The President]

It's been like 5 to 6 years since they were bought out, but what does happen to your studio when a founder runs away, who's actually leading them now?

Expectations have dropped to a new low though, assuming of course they even have the game. I suppose we'll find out in September.

 

[J1M]

This thread should be stickied.

 

[lightbane]

This thread should be stacked.

Fixed.

 

[Harthwain]

This thread should be stacked staked.

Fixed.

Fixed.

 

[Wassersäufer]

Did HBS actually develop anything of note that was turn-based and rather small scaled? Seems like a weird choice to hire for one the bigger Games Paradox ever tried their hands on.

 

[RagingNomad]

Did HBS actually develop anything of note that was turn-based and rather small scaled? Seems like a weird choice to hire for one the bigger Games Paradox ever tried their hands on.

This was an initiative of HBS to make new Bloodlines.

 

[Roguey]

but what does happen to your studio when a founder runs away, who's actually leading them now?

Ian Thomas is the new narrative director.

I’ve written and designed story for many different types of interactive media. My credits include narrative design, character creation, world design, dialogue, prose, and voice direction for PC, console, VR, AR, and mobile games.

I’ve worked on over 100 games, interactive events, and immersive experiences. Alongside co-founding Talespinners, I was nominated for a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award as Story Lead on Frictional Games‘ horror title, Amnesia: Rebirth and I was Narrative Director at Ubisoft Stockholm on a brand new cloud-based heavily procedural IP. I’m regularly asked to consult for companies to help them shape and polish the story for their game.

I’ve held a wealth of roles as a programmer, technical architect and CTO. I spent a long time running software teams creating interactive TV systems and produced over 40 educational games.

In 2009, I threw all that in to work in the mainstream games industry, where I’ve since worked as a programmer and designer for gameplay, systems and tools on a wide range of triple-A and indie titles across all sorts of platforms – including SOMA and the LittleBigPlanet and LEGO franchises.

Seems pretty Pinchbeck-adjacent.

 

[ADULF HITLOR FAN KLUB]

VTM was supposed to be a trilogy? Jesus Christ, what a tragedy

Activision murdered Bloodlines and Troika.

All Bloodlines needed was a few more months in the oven. They deserve to burn in hell for what they took from us.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

VTM was supposed to be a trilogy? Jesus Christ, what a tragedy

Activision murdered Bloodlines and Troika.

All Bloodlines needed was a few more months in the oven. They deserve to burn in hell for what they took from us.

There was a reason why Acclaim splited from Activision (fun fact - Activision was split itself form Atari).

 

[Jaesun]

STILL waiting for this one. Please do this fucking justice and be a good game in the VtM setting. Thank you.

 

[Modron]

STILL waiting for this one. Please do this fucking justice and be a good game in the VtM setting. Thank you.

I am sure in a year or two they will fulfill your preorder from 2018.

 

[Abu Antar]

I was asked if I wanted a refund for this from the shop where I pre-ordered. I refused.

 

[JBro]

I always had an idea for a sequel plot thread where Nines somehow takes over LA to keep the Anarchs united and free of the Camarilla, and in doing so becomes worse than Lacroix ever was, but with good intentions.

 

[Wesp5]

Tim Cain recently explained in his videos that Troika had planned two Bloodlines expansions that were sequels. In those the player flees from Barsow to Las Vegas after the events of the game...

 

[0wca]

I don't know in what reality this turns out to be a good game.

1. The developers got switched.
2. The game is effectively in development hell.
3. The lead writer is gone.
4. The facial animations looked like they're fucking mannequins.

There's probably not even a studio based enough to do this sequel justice.

You think we'll ever see characters like Fat Larry, Pisha or Tseng ever again? You think the new radio station would even be capable of satire?

Not in this fucking climate.

 

[Abu Antar]

I don't know in what reality this turns out to be a good game.

1. The developers got switched.
2. The game is effectively in development hell.
3. The lead writer is gone.
4. The facial animations looked like they're fucking mannequins.

There's probably not even a studio based enough to do this sequel justice.

You think we'll ever see characters like Fat Larry, Pisha or Tseng ever again? You think the new radio station would even be capable of satire?

Not in this fucking climate.

I want it to be good, but it will be shit. Still, I can't cancel for the price I paid. If it's shit, I can at least laugh at it.

 

[0wca]

I don't know in what reality this turns out to be a good game.

1. The developers got switched.
2. The game is effectively in development hell.
3. The lead writer is gone.
4. The facial animations looked like they're fucking mannequins.

There's probably not even a studio based enough to do this sequel justice.

You think we'll ever see characters like Fat Larry, Pisha or Tseng ever again? You think the new radio station would even be capable of satire?

Not in this fucking climate.

I want it to be good, but it will be shit. Still, I can't cancel for the price I paid. If it's shit, I can at least laugh at it.

This is why you shouldn't ever pre-order.

 

[Abu Antar]

Eh, I would cancel, but I am too curious. I'll deal with an $18 loss. There was a misprice at AllYouPlay some years back, and they honored the deal. I can share all the awesome catastrophic details with you guys.

 

[Zombra]

Why is conversation happening as if Bloodlines 2 will be released any time in the foreseeable future? Is there some reason I missed to think it won't still be years coming?

 

[Roguey]

Why is conversation happening as if Bloodlines 2 will be released any time in the foreseeable future? Is there some reason I missed to think it won't still be years coming?

Paradox wouldn't show off the new stuff next month unless they have a date locked in.

"If you look at the pipeline, we've been a little cautious about announcing things because we got burned a little bit on Bloodlines 2 (a game that's heavily delayed, eds note). We've said we're not going to release anything until we're pretty sure of an absolute launch date or at least a launch month," says Fredrik Wester.

...

Bloodlines 2 was first announced in 2019 and after several delays, the developer was replaced last year. On that occasion, Fredrik Wester stated that he had very good hopes that it will be a good game that meets the players' expectations.

How does it feel now a year later?

"It feels very good about Bloodlines 2 and we will probably be able to set a launch date for this game reasonably soon. We feel that the game has been in very good hands and we are incredibly satisfied with what we have seen," says Fredrik Wester and adds that it's "absolutely not impossible" that Bloodlines 2 could launch sometime in 2023.

I'd estimate the release window anywhere from December-March.

Possibly a bit later considering their next walking sim is supposed to be out in 2024 but then we're entering "It is happening again" territory.

 

[Zombra]

Paradox wouldn't show off the new stuff next month unless they have a date locked in.

Cool, are they showing new stuff off next month?

 

[Roguey]

Paradox wouldn't show off the new stuff next month unless they have a date locked in.

Cool, are they showing new stuff off next month?

Yes, they announced a big announcement for September back in early June just so people wouldn't get upset with its absence at Summer Game Fest.

 

[Gargaune]

they announced a big announcement for September back in early June

Dan Brown could write a novel around modern marketing practices.