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

Supermassive Games, known for their gripping horror titles like Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures series, has reportedly halted development on a previously unannounced Blade Runner game. According to Insider Gaming, the project titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was envisioned as a "character focused, cinematic, action adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative would have centered around So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model and the last Blade Runner, tasked with eliminating the leader of an underground replicant network. After being betrayed and left for dead, So-Lange's journey would have involved elements of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.

Insider Gaming revealed that the game's development budget was approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting. The project aimed to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience, 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 was reportedly canceled late last year due to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder for the Blade Runner franchise.

In a related development, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 their intention to create an in-house game titled "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. Since then, there have been no further updates on this project.

Amid these shifts, Supermassive Games has been managing multiple projects, including the next installment in the Dark Pictures series, "Directive 8020," and "Little Nightmares 3." Last year, the studio faced challenges, leading to layoffs of around 90 employees, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, during a period of consultation.

In other news, Supermassive's Until Dawn has been adapted into a movie, which is set to hit theaters this weekend. For those interested, you can read our review of David F. Sanberg's cinematic take on Until Dawn here.