"Next-Gen Blade Runner Game Scrapped by Until Dawn Studio"

Supermassive Games, renowned for crafting gripping horror experiences such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the acclaimed Dark Pictures anthology, has reportedly ceased development on an unannounced project centered around the iconic Blade Runner universe. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the studio was developing a game titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live," which promised to be a "character-focused, cinematic, action-adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative was set to revolve around the last Blade Runner, a vintage Nexus-6 model named So-Lange, tasked with eliminating the leader of an underground replicant network. However, following betrayal and abandonment in a brutal setting, So-Lange's journey would have involved elements of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.

Insider Gaming revealed that Blade Runner: Time To Live was backed by a substantial development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was planned 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 on PC and both current and next-generation consoles. Unfortunately, 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 related development, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 that it was working on its first in-house game, "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. However, there have been no further updates on this project since its initial announcement.

Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been managing multiple projects, including the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series, Directive 8020, and the development of Little Nightmares 3. The studio faced significant challenges last year, announcing 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 hitting theaters this weekend. For those interested, our review of David F. Sandberg's take on Until Dawn for the big screen is available here.