When is the Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 release date? Well, that’s a question we’ve been asking for a long, long time. As the next instalment in Seattle’s ongoing saga of strife and exsanguination gets a new developer and release window, there’s a lot to get excited about. Arise Kindred, there’s blood to be spilled and a power vacuum that’s in desperate need of filling.
After all, we’ve been looking for a good vampire game to sink our teeth into for some time, hoping and praying (maybe not the last one) for any word on Paradox’s Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2, the sequel to White Wolf’s iconic 2004 VTM RPG. The game has been passed between two different developers, but it looks like we finally have something a little more concrete to go on – and a release window, too.
Bloodlines 2 release date window
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will be released in Fall 2024, as confirmed in an official reveal trailer at PAX West 2023.
This is the most definitive timeframe we’ve had so far, with the game initially slated to release in March 2020 before being delayed into 2021. We then were unsure of the development status of the game, or even which studio was working on it. In September 2023, it was announced that Bloodlines 2 had changed hands from Hardsuit Labs to The Chinese Room.
The Chinese Room started out modding Half-Life 2 and went on to be acquired by Sumo Digital in 2018. It uploaded its own reveal of Bloodlines 2 and how it came to fruition. The studio promised “immersive, wonderful worlds” for players before describing it as “powerful, dark, violent, thrilling, twisty, visceral, challenging,” and more.
Bloodlines 2 classes and clans
We now know that you play as an elder vampire, known as the “Phyre”, and your clan, appearance, gender, and origin story are chosen at the beginning of the game. The four confirmed Vampire classes you can choose are:
- Brujah
- Tremere
- Banu Haqim
- Ventrue
Brujah is the rebellious faction of Vampire society, filled with rogues who are prone to becoming frenzied at a moment’s notice. They’re the pugilists of the vampire world, with a heritage that dates back to at least the Carthaginians, with many sharing the Ancient Greek Olympian Ideal of a perfect body and mind.
Tremere is a more recent clan that formed in the Dark Ages, but a powerful set of sorcerers and warlocks that stand as defenders of the Camarilla. They’re secretive by nature, taking advantage of the unknown to instill fear, respect, and a little bit of suspicion from the other clans.
Banu Haqim vampires are a relative newcomer to the World of Darkness universe. These vampires of Middle Eastern origin were formerly the Assamites and are essentially assassins who kill for hire while also collecting blood to perform rituals that bring them “closer to their progenitor”. The Banu Haqim have a few notable castes: Sorcerer, Vizier, Bedouin, and Courtiers. One thing they have in common is that they all embrace laws and traditions and, as such, regularly come to blows with other societies.
The Ventrue are the aristocrats of vampire society and know their place. They’re greedy by nature and will always opt to leave their rivals under the bus if it means they get ahead. They’re also immensely charming but are so used to the finer things in life that an outcast Ventrue doesn’t last long.
Other vampire clans are in the game, including fan favorites such as the Nosferatu and the Malkavians, but they won’t be playable on the release of Bloodlines 2. That isn’t to say they won’t appear as new factions in DLC.
Bloodlines 2 gameplay
Bloodlines 2 is primarily an RPG game, where your character’s progression and gameplay will be heavily influenced by your choice of clan. Brujah, for example, is a tanky brawler, whereas Tremere is more akin to spell-slinging mages.
According to the Bloodlines 2 website, we’ll see an extended gameplay video in January 2024 that will show off the game’s playable clans, so check back then.
However, we know that there’s one thing that’s always at the core of Vampire: The Masquerade videogames – blood. In the original Bloodlines, you would feed on unassuming humans to regain health and discipline (or your ‘mana’). Humans living poor lifestyles drain more quickly, whereas high-flying society types drain slower, meaning you can take more blood from them. As your health and discipline bars decrease, you have to feed again, and again, and again.
Bloodlines 2 will probably operate on a similar system, and may even introduce buffs akin to the ones Sharkmob added into their battle royale game, Bloodhunt. Certain NPCs had special blood characteristics, which gave you buffs and allowed you to level certain abilities more quickly. It’s a neat spin on an age-old health regain system that would feel pretty sweet in Bloodlines 2.
Bloodlines 2 story
We don’t know much about Bloodlines 2’s story, given the developer switch, but according to the official website, our character is an elder vampire who has been thrust into a war for ownership of Seattle. It’s set in the real world rather than the vampire world.
The rest is a mystery that we are oh so keen to dive into, but until then, it’s worth checking out our list of the best horror games if you fancy delving into the night, as well as our upcoming PC games calendar for 2023 and beyond.