Paradox admits the fiasco of Bloodlines 2: losses of 37 million and takes the blame

Paradox blames its own management for the commercial failure of Bloodlines 2.

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The return of Vampire: The Masquerade was one of Paradox’s most ambitious moves in years, but its release has not met internal expectations. The publisher has confirmed a write-down of 355 million Swedish crowns (approximately $37 million) related to the launch of Bloodlines 2, after finding that initial sales and overall reception fell short of projections.

According to estimates by GameDiscoverCo, the game has sold approximately 121,500 copies on Steam, generating around $4 million in net revenue. On Valve’s platform, it maintains “mixed” reviews, a trend similar to that reflected on Metacritic.

Paradox acknowledges the error in its projections

Frederik Wester, Paradox’s CEO, has taken direct responsibility. For him, the work of the studio responsible for the project has been up to par, but internal expectations have not adjusted to market reality.

We are satisfied with the studio’s work and the vampire fantasy the game offers, he explained in the statement. After a month, we can see that sales do not align with our projections, which forces us to apply this write-down. The responsibility falls entirely on us as the publisher.

• Wester also admits that Bloodlines 2 strays from the most common areas of Paradox’s catalog, which made it difficult to make reliable projections. Nevertheless, the company confirms that the two planned additional contents are still in development and will arrive as planned.

A long, turbulent development with several changes in direction

The project has had a very peculiar trajectory. Paradox acquired the license in 2015, and initial development fell to Hardsuit Labs, responsible for a proposal closer to the 2004 classic. However, after delays, creative changes, and internal problems, the publisher decided to cut ties and restart production.

The Chinese Room took over, ultimately delivering a more compact and focused experience, moving away from the scale of the original title. This more contained direction, anticipated even by the creative team in past interviews, ended up clashing with part of the audience that expected a more expansive sequel.

A very intense year-end for Paradox

Despite this setback, Paradox has registered a 20% increase in operating profit during the first nine months of the year. The company ensures that the fourth quarter will be “the most intense period” in its history, with up to three launches and multiple updates for its main franchises.