Following the delay of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 into next year, Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs have announced that lead narrative designer Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney have left the team. This was a joint decision by the leadership both companies. Alexandre Mandryka has been hired to fill the creative director role and to “help us in the final stages of development.”
Such a departure is interesting especially given the game’s delay. However, Mitsoda revealed to Rock Paper Shotgun via email that he was “suddenly terminated.” “That this came as a shock to me is underselling it,” said Mitsoda. It’s all the more surprising when you consider that Mitsoda was the lead writer for the first game and has often been part of the sequel’s marketing.
He stated that he’s “incredibly disappointed and frustrated to say that this is where it ends for me on the project” and had “never been led to believe that I hadn’t succeeded.” Mitsoda also noted that the marketing was “intensely difficult and took a mental and physical toll.” As far as he’s concerned, the narrative development didn’t contribute to any delays. While he’s “confident and proud of the work that I and my team put forward,” Mitsoda is also unsure “when that work will be seen and what form it will take.”
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is in development for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X and PS5. Stay tuned for more details on it in the coming year.