Vampire: The Masquerade - Blood Hunt - What We Know So Far

While fans are still in the dark about when they will see the long-awaited follow-up to "Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines," there is another title in the franchise that should be available soon. Titled "Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Hunt," this new entry promises a faster, more action-oriented approach to the universe and is being billed as a battle royale-style experience.

The shift from a careful RPG that follows the strict rules of secrecy established by the "Vampire: The Masquerade" tabletop roleplaying game to an action-oriented shooter was undoubtedly a surprise for many, and "Bloodlines" caused an uproar when it was first announced. PC Gamer even described the decision as "baffling," although they conceded that the veteran game makers attached to the project through developer Sharkmob had plenty of talent to make the title successful.

While the newest approach to the world of "Vampire: The Masquerade" may be unexpected, that doesn't mean it can't be entertaining. Here is everything we know about the release date, trailer, and gameplay of "Blood Hunt."

While the developers of "Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Hunt" have yet to announce a specific release date, fans are hopeful that the title will arrive in late 2021.

When the game was first revealed at Summer Game Fest 2021, Sharkmob simply stated that it was "Coming in 2021." However, the developers also invited gamers to join a closed alpha that ended in July, indicating that "Blood Hunst" is at least prepared for balance testing. Fans hoped that the results of that alpha test might give Sharkmob the information it needs to decide on an official release date, but it has yet to do so.

It remains unknown as to whether the release of "Vampire The Masquerade – Blood Hunt" will be influenced by the other upcoming game in the franchise, "Vampire The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2." The highly anticipated sequel to the 2004 original has undergone a troubled development cycle, and its release date has now been confirmed to have been pushed past 2021 by the developers.

When "Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Hunt" was officially announced, it was accompanied by a reveal trailer that gave fans a good idea of what to expect from the battle royale experience.

That cinematic trailer exhibits the stylized art direction and gave fans a glimpse of some of the features, such as utilizing special vampiric abilities and fast-paced squad combat. It demonstrates how players will interact with and feed on in-game NPCs to help power those special abilities. The trailer also shows the arrival of the Entity, which the game's official website describes as a secret society that has targeted the vampires for extermination. 

In addition, gameplay videos created by streamers who tried "Blood Hunt" before the closed alpha occurred demonstrated some of the game's defining qualities, such as vertically enabled movement. According to the Steam listing, "Blood Hunt" is set in a fictionalized Prague and players can utilize the urban environment by quickly scaling buildings, adding a level of mobility not found in many battle royale games.

Thanks to the closed alpha, fans now have a much better idea of what to expect from the battle royale experience offered by "Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Hunt."

Outside Xbox posted a short gameplay video that explained some of the unique elements that will help "Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Hunt" stand out in the battle royale field. The video noted that the map was noticeably more condensed than other battle royale titles, although the game made up for that with its verticality.

The video also pointed out that "Blood Hunt" incorporates elements of the world's ruleset for "The Masquerade," a code of secrecy that all vampires follow in the game's universe. If a player violates those rules by, for instance, feeding on a character in view of an NPC, the game will broadcast their location to other players. Fans on Reddit were worried that the game would ignore this element of lore from the universe, so its inclusion should be reassuring.

In addition, a write-up following the alpha preview by Gamegrin noted that "Blood Hunt" is currently playable through three different sects of vampire society. These include the stealthy Nosferatu, the powerful but frenzied Brujah, and the stylish Toreador, which play as a sort of support class. Plans are in place to add at least one more playable faction, the aristocratic Ventrue.