With 2019’s Vampire: The Masquerade — Coteries of New York, a handful of recent and upcoming interactive fiction games, and, of course, next year’s Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2, the blood-sucking side of the World of Darkness video game universe is quickly expanding. Late last year, developer Sharkmob teased a unique take on that universe: a battle royale title.
At the time, we didn’t know what the game would be called or very much else about it. But during the Summer Game Fest 2021 kickoff event, Sharkmob released the game’s first trailer (seen below), as well as its name: Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodhunt.
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodhunt will release sometime later this year on PC, though a firm date hasn’t yet been provided by Sharkmob. It will be a free-to-play game and include premium cosmetics. The official Bloodhunt FAQ says that these items won’t be “pay-to-win.”
Matches will reportedly be a mix of real players and AI-controlled combatants. Sharkmob says that “45 players will be able to compete in each game session.”
The third-person battle royale game takes place in Prague’s Old Town as vampire factions vie for control of the city. Those familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade collection of games will recognize Prague as a setting in 2000’s Vampire: The Masquerade — Redemption, though in a completely different century.
The announcement trailer shows that players will have access to a variety of “ranged and melee weapons,” as well as powers and abilities, such as teleportation.
Sharkmob also revealed that Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodhunt will have a closed alpha test starting on July 2. The alpha is limited to PC players. Those interested in participating can get a chance to join the masquerade over on the game’s official website.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodhunt, but stay tuned for more as we learn it.
