Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 failure attributed to Paradox, studio insists
Paradox has admitted it—not The Chinese Room—is responsible for Bloodlines 2’s commercial failure, citing misjudged expectations and a mismatch with its core genres.
Paradox Interactive has taken full responsibility for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s commercial flop, conceding that the troubled sequel faltered because the publisher misjudged the market and the project - not because of its developers.
In a note to investors, Paradox confirmed a 355 million SEK (~$37 million) write-down after 30 days of sales data revealed that Bloodlines 2 had dramatically underperformed.
Despite years of hype and a loyal fanbase hungry for a follow-up to Troika’s 2004 cult classic, the October launch landed to only “mixed” Steam reviews and sluggish demand.
CEO Fredrik Wester stressed that the blame lies squarely with Paradox.
He said: “The responsibility lies fully with us as the publisher,” praising developer The Chinese Room for delivering a strong fantasy that ultimately sat outside Paradox’s core strengths.
Known for Crusader Kings, Stellaris, and Europa Universalis, Paradox’s portfolio has historically centered on grand strategy, not narrative action RPGs.
That mismatch, Wester admitted, made it “difficult for us to gauge sales,” and the company will now refocus future investment on genres it understands best.
Still, Paradox has said its commitment to Bloodlines 2 isn’t over, as updates and the two planned expansions included in the Premium Edition will still be delivered in 2025.
The candid response from Paradox follows years of development turmoil, fan backlash over cut content, and even internal debates about whether the game should carry the Bloodlines 2 name at all.
Former creative director Dan Pinchbeck recently revealed the team “tried to work out how to get Paradox to not call it Bloodlines 2,” acknowledging the sequel expectations were impossible to meet.
