Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: Gameplay, trailers & everything we know

Ava Thompson-Powell
Elif in Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines 2

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines’ sequel to the cult-classic 2004 game is primed to provide long-time fans with a modern, immersive experience of life as a vampire. With so much hype surrounding VTMB2, we’ve got you covered on all the details you need to know.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 stems from the World of Darkness series and is directly based on its namesake’s tabletop game. You play as vampires in the modern era who must uphold the Masquerade – the law intended to stop humanity from learning the existence of the undead.

The original 2004 title – developed by Troika Games and published by Activision – was plagued with development issues that saw its release in an unfinished, barebones state.

Statistically, it was a flop, only becoming more and more popular as time went on. Today, it is consistently played and loved by fans of the genre, with an unofficial patch serving as the primary way to experience the game.

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The Ventrue version of Phyre in Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2

Is there a Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 release date?

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is set to launch in Fall 2024. There’s currently only a loose window and a solid release date is expected to be given soon.

The sequel was originally slated for a March 2020 release date, but the game was then pushed back to 2021, with developers wanting to ensure that the game is as polished as it can possibly be for fans – likely to avoid a similar situation with the first game.

On February 23, 2021, the VTMB2 website and Twitter shared a blog post that stated that Hardsuit Labs would no longer continue to lead the development of the game – and thus, the ability to preorder the game had been taken down. It was later revealed that The Chinese Room is the new development studio.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 trailers

As Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was revamped, we won’t be posting any trailers from the 2019 iteration, as they no longer reflect the final game.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 – Narrative & RPG Stream

This trailer revealed the new protagonist, Phyre, and explained some of the changes to the story, such as the main character now being an elder vampire, rather than a Thin-Blood.

Bloodlines 2 – Brujah Clan Reveal

The first clan reveal shows off the ultra-violent Brujah clan, who use their incredible physical abilities to decimate their foes.

Bloodlines 2 – Tremere Clan Reveal

The second clan reveal was for the Tremere, sorcerer vampires who use their control over blood to create a form of magic that can tear their foes to shreds.

Bloodlines 2 – Third Clan Reveal

The third clan reveal shows off the Banu Haqim, who are masters of stealth and subtlety, dealing with enemies from the shadows.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 – Extended Gameplay Reveal

This trailer offered the first proper look at the gameplay, with Phyre trapped in an illusory world and forced to fight off enemy vampires and sentient mannequins, as she seeks to escape from her psychic trap.

What is Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 about?

The story of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has greatly changed since the 2019 iteration. The game is still set in Seattle in the modern nights, but the protagonist is now an elder vampire, named Phyre, who was asleep for over a century and is awoken with her memories altered and strange marks on her body.

Phyre isn’t alone, as there’s a voice in her head named Fabien, who was once a vampire. Fabien is Phyre’s companion on her journey, always talking in her head. The origins of Fabien are as unclear as Phyre’s, so his end goal is currently a mystery.

Phyre must learn about the inner workings of the vampires of Seattle as she uncovers the mysteries of her past and regains the power that has been stolen via the marks.

Are there any gameplay details?

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an RPG with action and stealth elements. The game is mostly from a first-person perspective, as you beat up enemies, sneak around bases, and use your vampire powers to give you an advantage.

Your choice of clan determines what powers you can use and will be among your main gameplay tools. You can also feed on the blood of your enemies, restoring your health and letting you use your powers.

It’s unclear how open the world will be or how dialogue-heavy the game will be, as the current trailers have been focused on particular gameplay slices rather than the whole world.

While it didn’t get its own trailer, Clan Ventrue will also be playable, giving players a mind-control option for their version of Phyre.

Can you pre-order Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2?

Pre-orders have currently been halted for the title, but previously, PC, Xbox One, Series X/S, and PlayStation 4/5 had four different editions available.

Some third-party sites, like Amazon, have pre-order links up, but they’re generic ones using images from the old versions of the game. Proper pre-order links will go up when the game’s release date is revealed.

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