The highly anticipated Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 recently suffered a hefty delay that extends into 2021, citing quality reasons as the cause. That said, it has now been revealed that two leads on the project have been fired from Hardsuit Labs.
In a recent statement from Paradox, it was noted that narrative lead Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney are “no longer part of the team at Hardsuit Labs.” While a specific reason was not disclosed, the statement notes that it “was a joint decision made by the leadership of Hardsuit Labs and Paradox Interactive.”
“We appreciate, and value, the contributions of Brian and Ka’ai, which were instrumental in establishing the game’s storyline and dark tone and have helped to ensure that we are making a true successor to the iconic Bloodlines,” the statement reads. “We wish them both the best in their future endeavors.”
Given the recent delay, the firing of Brian Mitsoda, who was the lead writer on the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and was essentially the face of the upcoming installment, doesn’t exactly provide fans with confidence. In a statement to Rock Paper Shotgun, however, Mitsoda noted how he was fired on July 16th after five years with the studio. “That this came as a shock to me is underselling it,” he said. “I’ve worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years. The story and main cast was initially conceived in my living room. I helped develop the pitch for Hardsuit Labs and helped pitch the project to Paradox in Las Vegas. I’ve been in charge of the narrative since the beginning, working long days and sometimes weekends to deliver a successor to Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, and I’ve never been led to believe that I hadn’t succeeded.”
Related: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Delayed Until 2021
Mitsoda then went on to express how the marketing for the game and lending his credibility and name to it were taxing on his mental and physical health. “This is all because I wanted to do what was best for the game and the team.” He also mentioned how he was not part of the talks that resulted in delaying Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and that the narrative department was not an issue, to the best of his knowledge. You can read Mitsoda’s statement in full right here.
As for what’s next for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, Paradox and Hardhat also revealed that Alexandre Mandryka has joined the team as a creative consultant and will fill Ka’ai Cluney’s role to help with the final stages of development. No release date is known just yet, but expect the game to launch in 2021. For even more on the upcoming title, be sure to check out our game hub!
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What do you think about all of this? Is development in trouble for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, or will it be smooth sailing from this point on? Do you find it odd that two of the leads on the project have been fired from the studio? Sound off with your thoughts over on our Twitter @PrimaGames!
Published: Aug 19, 2020 04:23 pm