Paradox incurs a $37 million write-down following Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2's failure to meet targets

Paradox Interactive has decided to write off SEK 355 million (approximately $37 million) in development costs for "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2," following sales that did not meet the company's predictions amid mixed critiques. Despite this, two expansions for the game will still be released.

Statistics from GameDiscoverCo indicate that the game sold approximately 121,500 units on Steam, generating around $4 million in net revenue. Reviews on Steam and Metacritic reflect a "mixed" reception.

CEO Frederik Wester acknowledged the situation, stating, "We are proud of the developers' efforts on the game. It was anticipated to perform well due to its solid IP and potential broad appeal, but unfortunately, the sales have fallen short, prompting the write-down."

Wester admitted the oversight was on Paradox's part as the publisher. He remarked that the project's departure from the company’s primary focus areas made accurately predicting its commercial performance challenging. Moving ahead, Paradox plans to concentrate resources on its key markets while assessing future strategies for the World of Darkness brand.

The game was approved for development after Paradox acquired the intellectual property in 2015, intending for Hardsuit Labs to capture the essence of its 2004 predecessor. Originally slated for a 2020 release, the game faced multiple delays, leading to Paradox severing ties with Hardsuit, partly due to the exit of senior creatives Ka'ai Cluney and Brian Mitsoda. Subsequently, The Chinese Room, based in the UK, completed the game, offering a more focused narrative that some players and critics found underwhelming.

Anticipating fan reactions due to its differences from the original, Dan Pinchbeck, the former creative director, discussed attempts to avoid linking the game too closely to its predecessor during the Goth Boss podcast. "It was crucial to steer clear of labeling it as 'Bloodlines 2' given the constraints of time and budget," Pinchbeck noted.

Paradox's latest financial report highlighted a 20% rise in operating profit for the year's first nine months and predicted that Q4 would be exceptionally busy, with three game launches and numerous updates to existing titles.