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Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

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Vampire: The Masquerade –
Bloodlines 2
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)
  • Alex Skidmore
Composer(s)
SeriesVampire: The Masquerade
EngineUnreal Engine 5[1][2]
Platform(s)
ReleaseOctober 2025
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an upcoming action role-playing video game published by Paradox Interactive. A sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (2004), the game is part of the World of Darkness series and based on the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. The game was initially developed by Hardsuit Labs, but by 2021 had been moved to The Chinese Room. It is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in October 2025.

The player takes the role of an elder vampire in 21st-century Seattle, and chooses one of several vampire clans to belong to, determining their vampiric abilities. To sustain the player character and their abilities, they feed on human characters' blood while trying to avoid being discovered as a vampire, breaking the masquerade – the conspiracy within vampire society to hide their existence from mortals.

Gameplay

[edit]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an action role-playing video game presented mainly from the first-person perspective, with third-person used for some actions and conversations.[3][4] The game takes place in a fictional version of Seattle spread across five districts: Uptown, Financial, Downtown, Chinatown, and Industrial. The districts are presented as a seamless open world, requiring no loading to move between them.[5]

Players control the Elder vampire Phyre throughout the game. Phyre's gender, hair, clan, and outfits can be customized.[6][3][7] The player must assign Phyre to one of four clans: the Brujah, who focus on aggressive, close-range melee combat; the Tremere, who specialize in long-range blood sorcery to manipulate their own, or others, blood; the Banu Haqim, who favor stealth approaches; and the Ventrue who rely on mental manipulation, mind control, and domination. A further two unspecified clans have been announced as downloadable content (DLC).[8]

Phyre can access the Disciplines (abilities) from other clans by forming alliances with and feeding on other vampires. These Disciplines vary in cost depending on how closely they align with the player's own clan's skillset. For example, a Brujah vampire—focused on strength, speed, and presence through the Disciplines of Celerity, Potence, and Presence—will find it cheaper to acquire similar powers than unrelated ones such as the stealth Discpline Obfuscate. Players can accumulate and stack multiple clan perks, offering a wide range of customisation and power. However, each clan retains a unique passive ability exclusive to them.[9] Each clan has a variety of thematically fitting outfits that are unlocked based on the different Disciplines that have been earned.[10] Phyre possesses supernatural strength, speed, and durability, greater than those of average vampires, and telekinetic abilities.[11] They also have supernatural senses, giving Phyre abilities including being able to detect beating hearts through walls.[12][13]

Combat in Bloodlines 2 combines basic physical attacks with vampiric powers, including telekinesis.[11] Phyre can also use well-timed dodges to stun opponents.[14] As the player upgrades Phyre, they unlock abilities such as Blood Curse, which manipulates an enemy's blood to make them explode; Possession, which allows the player to control a target; Recall, which allows Phyre to teleport to a set location, and mass Hypnosis, which can affect multiple enemies or compel them to commit suicide.[11][15] Powers can also be combined—for example, forcing enemies to drop their weapons through mind control and then using telekinesis to steal the weapon, or manipulating an exploding enemy into a larger group to maximize damage.[11] Enemies include humans, ghouls, and other vampires, who possess their own supernatural abilities to counter Phyre.[11]

Phyre's dialog options and character reactions are influenced by their customizable backstory, clan, reputation, and appearance. Reputation is shaped by relationships with individual characters and factions, who respond differently based on previous interactions. For instance, if Phyre was previously rude to a character and later attempts to be friendly, the character may interpret the behavior as sarcastic or insincere. Dialogue choices made in group conversations can affect each character's opinion of Phyre individually.[11] As an centuries-old vampire, Phyre has a detailed background and legend, but players are able to further define this through their choices, such as confirming or denying details when talking to others.[6][3][12]

Blood is Phyre's main source of healing and required to use their powers—for instance, Blood Curse costs three blood points. Blood points are replenished by feeding on characters in the environment or weakened enemies during combat, though feeding leaves the player vulnerable to attacks from others. Blood can have "resonances" based on the emotions of the target.[11][13] Feeding targets are typically in one of three potential blood resonances: Melancholic (anxious or afraid), Sanguine (feeling aroused), and Choleric (annoyed or angry). The targets must be converted to full resonance by manipulation through conversations. Fully resonated targets can also be found by chance. Once enough resonances are collected, certain vampires from different clans can allow Phyre to feed on them, awakening their connection to that clan's respective abilities.[16] In addition to blood, Phyre can use elixirs to restore health and blood, boost attack damage, and reduce damage.[15]

While Phyre can feed on humans, being seen by others constitutes a masquerade violation—exposing the existence of vampires. Too many violations can result in Phyre being pursued by vampire hunters, the police, or other vampires.[11] There are progressive stages of masquerade violations: "Upheld" caused by minor infractions such as being seen running supernaturally fast; "Caution" is triggered by multiple minor infractions or more obvious acts such as being caught feeding; and "Engaged/Broken", where the police actively hunt the player. If the player progresses beyond this, the Camarilla will step in to put a permanent end to Phyre.[5] Non-player characters (NPC) can interact with each other: for example, if a police officer sees a character attacking Phyre without cause, they may attack the human in response.[11]

Synopsis

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Setting

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Set in the World of Darkness, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 depicts a world in which vampires, werewolves, demons, and other creatures shape human history.[17][18] The vampires are bound by a code to maintain their secrecy and avoid unnecessary killing (to preserve the vampire's last shreds of humanity).[19][20] The vampires are divided into various clans with distinctive traits and abilities. The Toreador are the closest to humanity, with a passion for culture; the Ventrue are noble, powerful leaders; the Brujah are rebels who excel at fighting; the Malkavians are cursed with insanity and blessed with insight; the Gangrel are loners, in sync with their animalistic nature; the secretive, untrustworthy Tremere wield blood magic; the Nosferatu are condemned to a life in the shadows due to their monstrous appearance;[21] and the Banu Haqim stricly adhere to a personal moral code and punish any who defy it.[8] The clans are loosely governed by the Camarilla, a cabal that enforces the vampire code. Opposed to the Camarilla are the Sabbat, vampires who revel in their nature, embracing the beast within, and the Anarchs, an idealistic group opposed to the Camarilla's oligarchic political structure, believing that all vampires should share power.[21] Thinbloods are a rapidly growing, weaker strain of vampires who are typically shunned by full vampires.[22][23][24][11]

Bloodlines 2 takes place in early 21st-century Seattle, at Christmastime, during a historic snowstorm.[23][24][25] Since the events of Bloodlines, the Vatican has led a second inquisition—a mass purge of supernatural creatures.[25] The city's long-rulling Camarilla has been weakened by an attempted coup, and the Anarchs are seizing the opportunity to gain power.[11]

The main character of Bloodlines 2, controlled by the player, is a 400-year-old Elder vampire known as "Phyre" or "Nomad"—though neither is their true name—who is notorious among their kindred for their presence at historical and world-changing events. A century ago, Phyre vanished in Tunis, only to awaken from a long period of vampiric torpor in modern-day Seattle.[8][11][7] Phyre discovers that their powerful abilities are restricted by a mysterious, magical brand, and they have the disembodied voice of Fabien, a thinblood Malkavian and private investigator in their head. Fabien's detective persona is a coping mechanism for his Malkavian curse, enabling him to navigate the world and maintain a semblance of stability.[8][26] Other characters include the influential former prince of Seattle, Lou Graham,[11] Agent Barker, leader of the Information and Awareness Office (IAO), the government's hi-tech paramilitary vampire hunting unit,[3] and Santiago, an ancient hunter associated with the feared Society of Leopold.[27]

Plot

[edit]

Phyre will see a three-front siege in Seattle during a historic Christmas time snow-storm.[25]

Development

[edit]

Background

[edit]

The 2004 release of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines had been a relative failure, selling fewer than 100,000 copies when it was launched in competition against sequels in Half-Life 2, Halo 2, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.[28][29] Bloodlines was the last in a line of games developed by Troika Games that was critically well received but marred by technical issues and low sales, and Troika was shuttered shortly after its release, preventing them from developing a sequel.[28][30][31] In 2004, then-director Leonard Boyarsky said that although the team would like to pursue a Bloodlines sequel, the decision belonged to then-publisher Activision.[32] In the years following Bloodlines's release, the game became considered a cult classic.[33][34][35]

Video game publisher Paradox Interactive purchased White Wolf in October 2015, obtaining the World of Darkness intellectual property, including Bloodlines.[36][37] Following the purchase, Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester confirmed that a sequel was possible, stating "when the time is right I guess a sequel will find its place in the market."[37]

Development under Hardsuit Labs

[edit]

Shortly after Paradox Interactive's acquisition of White Wolf, Seattle-based developer Hardsuit Labs' creative director Ka'ai Cluney convinced co-founder Andy Kipling to pitch a Bloodlines sequel to Paradox, while Cluney made contact with Bloodlines writer Brian Mitsoda. A meeting was arranged soon after, and Mitsoda joined the sequel as narrative lead, bringing in Cara Ellison as senior writer.[23] Producer Christian Schlütter said: "When we as Paradox acquired the IP, we saw Bloodlines as the crown jewel... then [Hardsuit Labs] come along and have the perfect pitch, with the original writer on-board too. It all happened far faster than we expected."[24] The project's internal code name was "Project Frasier", a reference to the Seattle-based sitcom Frasier (1993–2004).[28]

Ellison said Bloodlines 2's story and factions were inspired by Seattle's evolving identity—its cultural past versus corporate-driven future. Mitsoda explained: “How much can Seattle change before it's no longer Seattle?” The factions reflect this tension between old and new.[23][24] They also aimed to move away from the "male power fantasy" of the first game, exploring the emotional transition from human to vampire—how different people cope with losing their families and past lives.[23][24] In the original version of the plot, set during the Christmas season, the player controlled a fledgling thinblood vampire, transformed at the start of the game during a mass attack unto humans by rogue vampires.[24] Alongside clans, Seattle is broken up by five vampire factions, each bound by their own ideologies. Led by the longest-reigning vampire prince Lou Grand, the Pioneer faction represents some of the oldest vampires of the city; their power has diminished as the other factions have grown.[38] The Camarilla faction, led by Prince Alec Cross, has been in power for two decades. It represents the socially elite and wealthy vampires, wielding power in businesses throughout Seattle.[39] The rarely seen Baron represents the criminal underworld, offering less-than-honest work to vampires, thinbloods, ghouls, and humans.[40] The Tremere-founded Newcomers faction, led by Viktor Goga, is made up of blood mages, scholars, and runaways,[41] and the Unseen faction is exclusive to the Nosferatu, who use hackers, journalists, and outcasts to gather intel.[42]

Adapting the tabletop game to a video game was a delicate balance. The team aimed to make each skill meaningful—unlike Bloodlines' "Investigation" skill, which had limited use. [43] The game was to be set entirely at night. The developers tested a day-night cycle with sunlight as a hazard but found it did not provide enjoyable gameplay. [44] Mitsoda said improving combat was a major focus, calling the original's combat "not very good."[24] Unlike the original game's chance-based combat which dictated the success of a strike, the early Bloodlines 2 combat would guarantee a hit but be affected by proficiency unlocks and passive skills in melee or ranged combat over time. The original Bloodlines had overlapping stealth, melee, ranged, and feeding systems in both first- and third- person perspectives, which Troika struggled to balance. Hardsuit Labs chose an exclusively first-person perspective to focus their efforts, inspired by Dishonored's fast-paced combat where attacks move the player's body. [45] The fifth edition of Vampire: The Masquerade was developed alongside Bloodlines 2, and some ideas crossed over, such as Resonances enhancing abilities. [43]

Coinciding with the game's second publicly announced delay in July 2020, Mitsoda and Cluney were both terminated from their positions, as a joint decision by the leaderships at Hardsuit Labs and Paradox Interactive; no explanation was given, although Mitsoda later described it as a "shock".[46][21] Mitsoda described the situation as unexpected and disappointing, after working on the game for five years. Following this, Alexandre Mandryka took over the role of creative director.[46] In October 2020, Paradox confirmed that Ellison had also left the project.[47] Game designer Chris Avellone served as a writer for the game for some time; following allegations of sexual assault in June 2020, later proven false, Paradox Interactive confirmed that his contributions to the game would be removed.[48][49]

In February 2021, Paradox Interactive announced that Hardsuit Labs no longer was working on the game, and that Paradox Interactive was collaborating with another developer to finish the production.[50] Hardsuit Labs made their narrative team staff redundant shortly afterward.[51] Paradox Interactive had prior to this considered cancelling the project, but decided to continue development with a new partner and to retain much of what had been produced for it until that point.[52]

Development under The Chinese Room

[edit]

The Chinese Room (TCR) took over development shortly after the removal of Hardsuit Labs, although their involvement was not announced until September 2023.[25][53] Paradox Interactive's deputy CEO Mattias Lilja explained that the drastic decision to change developers was the only way to save the project. Hardsuit Labs struggled with the game's scale, while TCR brought stability, confidence, and experience in delivering narrative-focused games with tight stories and settings.[4]

TCR inherited the core vision from Hardsuit Labs but reshaped the project to fit their strengths.[25][4] They retained the Seattle-during-Christmas setting—adding a severe snowstorm to the proceedings—and reusing much of Hardsuit Labs' art and level design. However, the game was rebuilt with a new codebase, as well as different gameplay mechanics and RPG systems.[25] The number of available clans for the player to choose was also reduced from five (Tremere, Toreador, Ventrue, Malkavians, and Brujah) to four.[8] TCR developed a design rule for non-combat gameplay, definining that it should involve things only a vampire can do, such as using enhanced senses for puzzle solving.[3]

TCR initially explored summarised dialogue options for Bloodlines 2 to clarify player choices, but found this approach too reductive, as it removed the subtlety and nuance essential to characterisation and roleplay. Sarah Longthorne, Senior Narrative Designer, explained that the team ultimately adopted paraphrased speech, blending the strategic choice design of Bloodlines with more morally complex, layered dialogue. This meant that players would navigate conversations by selecting dialogue that reflects their intent—be it leveraging their power as an Elder vampire, flattering others, or provoking responses—without rigidly categorising options by tone or alignment. This system allows for varied and subjective interpretations of intent, leaving moral and strategic choices open-ended for players to define through their character's actions and words.[3]

In 2025, Paradox revived its White Wolf brand to serve as the licensing and publising company for its intellectual properties, including Vampire: The Masquerade. As a result, White Wolf also became co-publisher of Bloodlines 2 with Paradox.[54] Despite the change in developer, the game was still subject to multiple delays. In August 2024, the game's release date was shifted to early 2025, ostensibly to add more endings to reflect more player agency, as well as adjusting certain characters, and implementing feedback from the Bloodlines community.[55] In March 2025, TCR announced the game would be further delayed to October 2025, stating that development was complete, but they were working on its performance, stability, and technical fixes.[56]

Writing

[edit]

With TCR as developer, Hardsuit Labs' plot was fundamentally re-written. The mass embrace and thinblood protagonist was replaced by an Elder vampire who is awoken from centuries of slumber. Creative director Alex Skidmore said the aim was not to simply repeat Bloodlines' as a weaker and subservient character, but give players the opportunity to roleplay as a powerful, established vampire.[25]

Narrative designer Arone Le Bray drew on experience from working on the role-playing games Mass Effect (2007) and Dragon Age: Origins (2009), as well as classic and contemporary RPGs. The creative team studied titles such as Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) to explore innovative narrative design, focusing on player agency, meaningful choices, and immersive storytelling. Le Bray emphasized the importance of making players feel ownership over their decisions, ensuring outcomes are clear but morally complex—encouraging debates over the "right" choice without misleading the player. TCR also reviewed the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game. Le Bray highlighted the tabletop game's moral framework, where players embody literal monsters—vampires wrestling with their humanity and the ever-present pull of the Beast. This struggle is reflected in Phyre, whose human past is so significantly distant from their present that it creates a sense of detachment and moral ambiguity.[57]

Phyre is written as a vampire legend, present for various historic events. This idea emerged in the writing process, believing it was important to take advantage of the character's long life and status compared to the new vampire protagonist of Bloodlines. Senior Narrative Designer and Writer Sarah Longthorne said that Phyre is not a passive observer, they're a force that leaves a mark on history, and their reputation reflects that. In Seattle, different characters believe different things about Phyre. These stories do not change the world directly, but they influence how Phyre is treated. Unlike Bloodlines, Phyre cannot be defined at the start of the game, but is gradually shaped through choices made during the story, some more important than others, such as if they were a warrior, traveler, or a survivor during these historic periods. Similarly, when defining the background of Phyre's alternate name, the Nomad, did they travel the world out of curiosity, ambition, or to hide from something. Longthorne described shaping Phyre's history as reflecting the character's psychology, motivations, and adding emotional weight to determine if they will repeat old mistakes or break free the cycle.[7]

Phyre is also fully voiced, where Bloodlines' protagonist uses unvoiced text options. Le Bray described the change as an effort to create a more immersive, focused experience—since Phyre has a more established background and status—instead of trying to cover all possible variations of a less defined character. He continued that instead of writing extensive text to convey the character's emotions, the voice actor can convey that feeling in their performance.[58]

The character Fabien is written as an unreliable narrator; while he sincerely believes his statements, they may not always be accurate, leading players to question the trustworthiness of his guidance. The game's narrative team, led by Alex Skidmore and Ian Thomas, aimed to portray Malkavian perspectives as prophetic or insightful rather than fragmented, offering a more coherent and grounded viewpoint than that of the Malkavian protagonist in the original Bloodlines.[26]

Design

[edit]

The design team's goal was to create a version of Seattle that feels authentic to The World of Darkness—a city shaped by vampires, not humans. Rather than an exact replica, the game presents iconic locales of Seattle, condensing key landmarks like Pioneer Square and Volunteer Park. To present the city from a vampiric perspective, buildings were made taller, lights more intense, and shadows deeper, to create a heightened, predatory atmosphere. Fictional locations like Weaver Tower and seemingly mundane places, such as an all-night coffee shop, serve as hidden vampire hubs, reinforcing the Masquerade theme of vampires existing unseen within human society.[59]

Seattle's districts are stylized through a heightened, vampiric lens, with exaggerated architecture and gritty environments echoing the noir feel of Bloodlines. Areas like Pioneer Square and Chinatown featuring unique lighting, mood, and environmental storytelling. Using a hybrid development workflow, the team combined modular kits and procedural tools to craft storytelling "dioramas" in each block, aiming to create an overall sense of distinct atmospheres in each segment. To encourage players to explore the city, the streets and alleys allow for unique encounters and feeding opportunities, while the rooftops allow the use of vampiric abilities without breaking the masquerade, but they are patrolled by Anarchs, adding a different danger. NPCs have different routines and interactions with each other independent of the player.[60]

The design team crafted each clan's outfits to reflect their visual themes and complimentary styles. For the Brujah, the designs draw on punk and rock culture inspired by their rebellious anti-establishment nature, based on durable materials like denim and leather, adorned with anarchic logos. The Tremere, with their roots in arcane magic, wear outfits that reflect a more antiquated, ritualistic style, blended with modern elements for practicality. Their garments are designed to allow freedom of movement for dramatic, magical gestures, while deep reds in clothing and jewelry evoke their mastery over blood magic. For the Banu Haqim, the design team leaned into stealth and subtlety with hoods, scarves, and multiple layers, creating sleek, shadowy outfits that allow them to blend into the night. The Ventrue, embodying wealth and authority, wear clothing that reflects their high status and refined tastes. Their outfits are opulent and regal, adorned with expensive jewelry and tailored to project confidence, power, and dominance.[10]

Beyond style, the outfits were designed to appear practical, and the designers reviewed materials such as leather, fur, denim, silk, and cashmere, in creating the right aesthetic and realistic touch. The sound team additionally matched sound effects to each clan's outfit theme, so Banu Haqim movements sound quieter while Brujah make more noise.[10]

The design of the introduction and ending sequences was inspired by the opening titles of television series True Detective (2014). "Moody" images of Seattle were combined with recognizable shapes and in-game elements to create a striking visual. Narrative director Ian Thomas and his team mapped out the nearly 40 possible endings for the concept team to storyboard and identify images that reflected the key themes and events of each ending. The pre-planning allowed them to identify common elements, allowing the reuse of images where applicable to save time. Associate art director Ben Matthews directed the concept team in creating a visual transition resembling blood undulating through water, prominently using red and black, with additional effects of snow, smoke, and blinking lights for visual depth. The final animation work was done by Atomhawk Design Ltd.[7]

Music

[edit]

Bloodlines composer Rik Schaffer returned to compose Bloodlines 2 under Hardsuit Labs.[61] Once development moved to The Chinese Room, Schaffer was replaced by Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eímear Noone. Schaffers compositions were not discarded, however, and were integrated into the score for Bloodlines 2, as a compliment to Garfinkle's and Noone's original score; Schaffer's work appears in combat encounters, narrative moments, and exploration segments.[62]

Garfinkle's and Noone's score was written to evoke a sense of timelessness and melancholy, while also highlighting contrasts and enhancing the game's nocturnal, moody atmosphere. As well as Schaffer's new compositions, they took inspiration from the original game as well as film soundtracks like Only Lovers Left Alive, Under the Skin (both 2013), the works of the Coen brothers, jazz music, and Gregorian chant.[62]

The soundtrack of Bloodlines 2 combines modern and historical influences to reflect its contemporary setting and the ancient, complex lives of its vampire characters. The score draws heavily from film noir's harmonic language, using manipulated organic instruments such as guitars and cellos to create an unsettling, distorted soundscape. Various individual characters and factions also received distinct themes, incorporating elements such as Middle Eastern scales for Phyre, Balkan fiddle-inspired cello techniques, and industrial percussive sounds like shovels for specific enemy types. The use of slow, sensual rhythms, minor tonalities, and atmospheric vocals is designed to convey the seductive yet predatory nature of the vampires. Diegetic music also plays a role in Bloodlines 2, with in-world music systems implemented in locations such as the Glacier Hotel lobby, Makom Bar, and Atrium nightclub, where sound spatialisation reacts naturally to the game's environment. An original aria recorded with Irish soprano Celine Byrne also features in the game.[62]

The official Bloodlines 2 theme song, "Midnight", is written by Michel Zitron, Paulina Palmgren, and Jarly.[63]

Sound

[edit]

The sound design was designed to adapt to the different environments, such as rooftops, alleys, streets, by dynamically analyzing geometry and context. Ambient sounds like wind, traffic, and reverb change based on the player's surroundings, supported by positional emitters such as creaking trees or voices from windows. Using Unreal's MassEntity framework, the game handles thousands of audio sources efficiently, with a system of "drivers and reactions" ensuring sound plays contextually based on proximity and object interaction. Footstep audio is dynamic, changing based on surface type, snow build-up, decals (like blood or leaves), water exposure, and terrain slopes.[64]

Mixing focuses on contrast: quiet exploration is given ethereal audio treatment, while combat prioritizes impactful sounds like punches or gunfire, layered carefully to avoid overwhelming repetition. Voices are similarly positioned spatially, for example, Phyre's voice originates from a different spatial position than Fabian's.[64]

Release

[edit]

Bloodlines 2 was first teased in February 2019 with the release of the dating app "Tender", created by Paradox and Alice & Smith. The app offered to use a "soulmate algorithm" and asks for the user's blood type before offering to match them with sick people nearby. A Twitch livestream, and later Paradox's own official Twitter account also displayed a memo from fictional Tender CEO Malcolm Chandler noting the need to be prepared for March 21, 2019 in San Francisco, the date the game was publicly revealed.[28][65][66]

Initially scheduled for release in March 2020, the game was pushed back in October 2019 to an unspecified 2020 release date,[67] and further delayed in August 2020 to an unspecified 2021 release date.[68] Along with the announcement of the change in developers in February 2021, the game was delayed past 2021.[50]

In September 2023, The Chinese Room was announced as the new developer, with the game scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in late 2024.[1][69] In August 2024, the game was delayed to the first half of 2025.[70] In March 2025, Paradox delayed Bloodlines 2 to October 2025.[71]

References

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