Supermassive Games, the acclaimed studio behind chilling titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the gripping Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted the development of a previously unannounced game set in the Blade Runner universe. According to Insider Gaming, the project, tentatively titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live," was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative would have followed So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model and the last Blade Runner, tasked with retiring the leader of an underground replicant network. Betrayed and left for dead in a harsh environment, So-Lange's journey would have been punctuated by segments of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.
Insider Gaming revealed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was backed by a robust development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. The game promised 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. However, the project reportedly fell through due to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder for the Blade Runner franchise, leading to its cancellation late last year.
In a separate development, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 its intention to develop its first in-house game, "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. Unfortunately, there have been no further updates on this project since its announcement.
Amidst these challenges, Supermassive Games has been busy with multiple projects, including the next installment in the Dark Pictures series titled "Directive 8020" and the development of "Little Nightmares 3." The studio faced significant internal changes last year, with 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 cinematic adaptation of Until Dawn, directed by David F. Sanberg, which is set to hit theaters this weekend. For those interested, a detailed review of this adaptation is available, offering insights into how the horror adventure translates to the silver screen.
