Supermassive Games, renowned for their gripping horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted the development of an unannounced game set in the Blade Runner universe.
According to a report by 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 on So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model and the last Blade Runner, tasked with retiring the leader of an underground replicant network. After being betrayed and left for dead, So-Lange's journey would have included elements of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and dramatic character interactions.
Insider Gaming disclosed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was budgeted at approximately $45 million, with $9 million designated for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was expected to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience, with pre-production kicking off in September 2024 and a planned release in September 2027 for PC and both current and next-generation consoles.
The cancellation reportedly stemmed from issues with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder for Blade Runner, leading to the project's termination late last year.
In related news, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 that it was developing Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. However, no further details have surfaced since the initial announcement.
Supermassive Games is currently engaged in multiple projects, including the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series, Directive 8020, and the development of Little Nightmares 3. Last year, the studio announced layoffs affecting around 90 workers as part of a "period of consultation," as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier.
On a brighter note, fans of Supermassive's work can look forward to the theatrical release of the Until Dawn movie this weekend. For more on David F. Sanberg's adaptation, check out our review here.
