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

Supermassive Games, renowned for their gripping horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted development on an unannounced game within the Blade Runner universe. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the game, titled Blade Runner: Time To Live, was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action-adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative was poised to follow the journey of So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model tasked with the mission to retire the leader of an underground replicant network. However, after being betrayed and left for dead in a harsh environment, So-Lange's adventure would have unfolded through a mix of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.

Insider Gaming disclosed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was backed by a development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was set to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience and was in pre-production since September 2024, aiming for a release in September 2027 across PC and both current and next-generation consoles.

The project's collapse was attributed to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder of the Blade Runner franchise, leading to the cancellation of the game sometime late last year.

In related news, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 their venture into in-house game development with Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. However, there have been no further updates on this project since its announcement.

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

On a brighter note, fans of Supermassive's work can look forward to the theatrical release of the Until Dawn movie this weekend. For those interested, our review of David F. Sanberg's adaptation of Until Dawn for the big screen is available for your reading pleasure.