Former employees of Hardsuit Labs have announced they have been laid off, after the studio is no longer working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
Shortly after announcing they would be working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 in 2019, the developers stated they would be taking “political stances” on “right and wrong.” Since then however, the game suffered numerous delays [1, 2], along with two lead narrative designers leaving the studio [1, 2]. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic also likely contributed to the delays.
Publisher Paradox Interactive announced on February 23rd that, along with another delay to 2022, Hardsuit Labs would no longer be developing the game. Now, GamesIndustry.biz reports several Hardsuit Labs employees announced via Twitter that they had been laid off.
Writer and narrative designer Anna C. Webster tweeted she was laid off, along with the rest of the narrative department- made of four people- and “many others.” Other laid off narrative designers include Nicole Standford, lead narrative designer Samantha Wallschlaeger, and one producer.
Among the tweets, none let slip for the exact reason for the layoffs, though losing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 likely scuppered a major source of funding and future income. Hardsuit Labs prior games include Blacklight: Retribution in 2013.
Image: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 via Steam
