Supermassive Games, renowned for crafting immersive horror experiences such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the acclaimed Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted development on a new, unannounced game set in the Blade Runner universe. According to a detailed report by Insider Gaming, the project, titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live," was envisioned as a character-driven, cinematic action-adventure game centered around the last Blade Runner in the year 2065. The game's protagonist was So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model tasked with the mission to retire the leader of an underground replicant network, only to be betrayed and left to fend for survival in a brutal environment. The gameplay was set to include a mix of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.
Insider Gaming disclosed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was backed by a substantial development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million designated specifically for external performance capture and acting talent. The game promised a 10-12 hour single-player experience, with pre-production kicking off in September 2024 and a targeted release date of September 2027 for PC and both current and next-generation consoles. However, the project reportedly collapsed due to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder for the Blade Runner franchise, leading to its cancellation late last year.
In other Blade Runner gaming news, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 that it would be developing its first in-house game set in the Blade Runner universe, titled "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth." This project was heralded as the first Blade Runner game in 25 years, but there has been no further news or updates since the initial announcement.
Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been managing a diverse portfolio of projects, including the upcoming installment in the Dark Pictures series, "Directive 8020," and their work on "Little Nightmares 3." The studio faced challenges last year, announcing layoffs affecting around 90 workers, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, during a period described as a "consultation phase."
On a lighter note, fans of Supermassive's work can look forward to the cinematic release of "Until Dawn," adapted for the big screen by David F. Sanberg, hitting theaters this weekend. For those interested, our review of this adaptation is available for your reading pleasure.
