Supermassive Games, known for their gripping horror titles like Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the acclaimed Dark Pictures anthology, has reportedly halted development on an unannounced game set in the iconic Blade Runner universe. According to a report from Insider Gaming, the project, tentatively titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live," was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action adventure" game set in the year 2065. The narrative would have revolved around So-Lange, a veteran Nexus-6 model and the last Blade Runner, tasked with eliminating the leader of an underground replicant network. The storyline allegedly took a dramatic turn when So-Lange faced betrayal and abandonment in a harsh environment. The gameplay was said to be split into segments featuring stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.
Insider Gaming revealed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was backed by a hefty development budget of approximately $45 million, which included $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was projected to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience, with pre-production kicking off in September 2024 and a targeted release date set for September 2027 across PC and both current and next-gen consoles.
However, the project reportedly collapsed due to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder of the Blade Runner franchise, leading to its cancellation late last year. Meanwhile, in the summer of 2023, publisher Annapurna Interactive unveiled its first in-house project, "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," heralded as the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. Since the announcement, there have been no further updates on this project.
Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been busy with multiple projects, including the upcoming Dark Pictures installment, Directive 8020, and 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."
In other news, Supermassive's Until Dawn is hitting the big screen this weekend. Fans can read our review of David F. Sandberg's cinematic adaptation of Until Dawn to see how the transition from game to film holds up.
