Paradox announces Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, out next year

After weeks of teasers, Paradox Interactive has officially announced that it is bringing the Vampire: The Masquerade series back to life with Bloodlines 2, a sequel to the cult classic RPG Bloodlines from 2004. Watch the cinematic announcement trailer from GDC above.

Hardsuit Labs - the studio behind Blacklight: Retribution - is in charge of development and the original Bloodlines' designer and writer Brian Mitsoda has returned for the sequel to serve as its Lead Narrative Designer.

Set years after the original, Bloodlines 2 takes place in modern-day Seattle, where players will once again be put inside the shoes of a fresh vampire just as a new blood war is taking over the city. The RPG will have players rising through the ranks and gaining supernatural powers to become the "ultimate vampire" while balancing relationships with human and vampire factions.

Here is a rundown of the game's features that Paradox shared:

Become the Ultimate Vampire - Immerse yourself in the World of Darkness and live out your vampire fantasy in a city filled with intriguing characters that react to your choices. You and your unique disciplines are a weapon in a forward-driving, fast-moving, melee-focussed combat system. Your power will grow as you advance, but remember to uphold the Masquerade and guard your humanity ... or face the consequences.

Descend into Seattle’s Dark Heart and Survive the Vampire Elite - Seattle has always been run by vampires. Hunt your prey across Seattle locations faithfully reimagined in the World of Darkness. Meet the old blood founders present since the city’s birth and the new blood steering the tech money redefining the city. Everyone has hidden agendas - so choose your allies wisely.

Enter into Uneasy Alliances - Choose a side among competing factions, each with their own unique traits and stories, in the war for Seattle’s blood trade. The world will judge you by the company you keep, but remember no one’s hands stay clean forever.

Experience the Story - Written by the creative mind behind the original Bloodlines, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 brings the ambitions of the first to life and sees the return of a few fan favorite characters.

The developer is also working with Nvidia to implement real-time ray tracing and DLSS technologies into the game.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will have a PC and console release in the first quarter of 2020. Its PC version is already available to pre-order, and Paradox has gone the route of opting to put the game on as many PC platforms as possible. Pre-order pages have now shown up on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Paradox Store with the standard edition starting at $59.99. Console pre-orders will be available later.