Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Inspired By Seattle’s Struggles With Homelessness

Originally slated to come out in March, it was somewhat of a bummer when Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 ended up getting hit with a delay until later in the year. But considering the amount of games hitting in March at this point, it was probably for the best. Either way, the game has some big shoes to fill following the cult favorite original, something it hopes to do. But it’s also going to be exploring its own themes inspired by the real life problems plaguing Seattle.

Talking to Fanbyte, Narrative Director Brian Mitsoda said that the game took a lot of inspiration from the spike in homelessness that Seattle has seen. With the influx of big tech companies and skyrocketing rent, the amount of homeless people in the city has increased dramatically. While it’s not clear how exactly the game will tackle these issues, or if it will head on, it’s obviously inspired it to some degree.

“This is one of the ways you’ll see how the tech hub has changed the city, how the city is trying to adapt to it, and the consequences of housing becoming more expensive,” Mitsoda says. “As you travel between areas you’ll see things change. And wherever you stop, you’ll get a sense of the atmosphere of that place in Bloodlines 2, through looking at the streets or the landmarks.”

Bloodlines 2 is slated to release sometime in 2020. For a taste of the vampire-based lore, you can check out Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York in the meantime, which you can read about through here.