"Next-Gen Blade Runner Game Scrapped by Until Dawn Studio"

Supermassive Games, renowned for their immersive horror experiences such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the gripping Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted the development of a previously unannounced game set in the iconic Blade Runner universe. According to Insider Gaming, the game titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action-adventure" title set in 2065, exploring the narrative of the last remaining Blade Runner.

The storyline of "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was to center around So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model, tasked with the mission to retire the leader of an underground replicant network. After a betrayal, So-Lange finds herself abandoned in a harsh environment. The gameplay was designed to be a multifaceted experience, incorporating elements of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and poignant character interactions. The game was reportedly budgeted at approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. It aimed to offer a 10-12 hour single-player story, with pre-production starting in September 2024 and a planned release in September 2027 for PC and both current and next-generation consoles.

However, the project faced challenges related to rights issues with Alcon Entertainment, the owner of the Blade Runner franchise, leading to its cancellation late last year. Meanwhile, in the summer of 2023, publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed plans to develop its inaugural in-house game, "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. Unfortunately, no further updates on this project have surfaced since the initial announcement.

Supermassive Games has been busy with other projects, including the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series titled Directive 8020, and contributing to the development of Little Nightmares 3. Amidst these endeavors, the studio faced significant layoffs last year, with around 90 employees affected, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, during a period of consultation. Additionally, Supermassive's beloved game Until Dawn is making its way to the big screen with a movie adaptation set to premiere this weekend. For those interested, you can find our review of David F. Sandberg's take on Until Dawn here.