Press release

Paradox Interactive Announces Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is Back, in Development by The Chinese Room.

Celebrated for their storytelling legacy, creators of critically-acclaimed titles bring more than 15 years of award-winning experience to World of Darkness

SEATTLE – September 2, 2023 – Paradox Interactive announced that The Chinese Room, a Sumo Digital studio, is developing the highly-anticipated Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 during today’s PAX West keynote. The Chinese Room brings their award-winning storytelling to Bloodlines 2, creating a high-quality Vampire: The Masquerade action RPG by talented developers with triple-A experience. Fans eager to sink their teeth into Bloodlines 2 can look forward to the gameplay reveal in January 2024 and its launch in Fall 2024.


The Chinese Room is known for creating ground-breaking first-person titles that have won awards from BAFTA, TIGA, and more for their emotionally rich narratives. The studio’s world-class background makes them well-equipped to tell a Vampire story set in modern Seattle reimagined for a World of Darkness action RPG.


Vampire: The Masquerade holds a special place in our hearts. The story world’s dark setting filled with intricate narratives built on top of modern society perfectly fits our studio’s catalog,” Ed Daly, Studio Director at The Chinese Room, said.Bloodlines 2 is our most ambitious project to date. Fans of the franchise have been eagerly awaiting this game, and we are up to the challenge. We are bringing more than 15 years of award-winning experience to the project, creating a game that honors the legacy of its predecessor while bringing its gameplay to the modern era.”


“We were immediately impressed when we saw The Chinese Room’s proposal for Bloodlines 2. They have a true passion for the source material, making them ideal partners to develop a story in the Vampire: The Masquerade setting that resonates with players,” Sean Greaney, Vice President of World of Darkness at publisher Paradox Interactive, said. “We are committed to making Bloodlines 2 a success. Bringing on a studio that shares our vision was critical to helping us achieve these goals. Fans of the franchise can rest assured knowing that Bloodlines 2 is in good hands, and we will have more to share with you in January.”


Bloodlines 2 is the successor to the cult-classic Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Bloodlines 2 takes players to the dark underbelly of Seattle, where vampires struggle for survival and supremacy. As an Elder vampire, players meet compelling characters, maneuver complex political relationships, stalk the city streets for prey, and engage in intense combat while balancing the need for blood. Throughout the game, players must always be mindful of their surroundings or risk breaking the Masquerade – the absolute law of secrecy that keeps vampire society hidden from humanity.


To learn more about Bloodlines 2, visit the official website, follow #Bloodlines2 on all social media platforms, and join the community on the game’s Discord.

 

About Paradox Interactive


The Paradox group today consists of both publishing and internal development of games and brands. Paradox has a broad portfolio of games and owns the most important brands, including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, Prison Architect, Victoria, Age of Wonders and the World of Darkness catalog of brands.


Since 2004, the company has published its games all over the world, initially through physical distribution but primarily in digital channels after 2006. Paradox games are developed primarily for PC and console platforms, but the company also releases games on mobile. The largest markets today include the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. In total, Paradox games have over five million players each month.


For more information, please visit http://www.paradoxinteractive.com


About World of Darkness


World of Darkness is a transmedia entertainment brand encompassing a number of modern fantasy horror franchises, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and more. Through tabletop roleplaying games, video games, board games, literature, comic books, and more, these franchises tell mature stories in a dark supernatural fantasy layered over our modern world. Since 1991, World of Darkness has defined monster-perspective entertainment for a generation of fans. For more information visit www.worldofdarkness.com.


About The Chinese Room


The Chinese Room is an award-winning game development studio based in Brighton, UK. Since 2012, the studio has built a reputation for innovative first-person gaming. Their titles include the ground-breaking Dear Esther (2012); the cult horror Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013); the internationally acclaimed Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (2015) and the highly-anticipated Still Wakes the Deep (2024).

Since joining the Sumo Digital family in 2018, The Chinese Room has been hard at work building on its reputation for creative excellence in game development. From humble roots in modding and academia to a team of over one hundred game devs and numerous influential titles, the studio is busy with projects that merge TCR storytelling with new directions, new genres and new ambitions.