Next-Gen Blade Runner Game by Until Dawn Studio Reportedly Canceled

Supermassive Games, renowned for their gripping horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted development on an unannounced project set in the iconic Blade Runner universe. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the game titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action-adventure" experience. Set in the year 2065, the narrative revolved around So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model and the last Blade Runner, tasked with dismantling an underground replicant network. However, after being betrayed and left to survive in a harsh environment, So-Lange's journey was meant to blend stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions into a seamless 10-12 hour single-player story.

Insider Gaming disclosed that the game had a development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million specifically allocated for external performance capture and acting talent. Pre-production commenced in September 2024, with the game slated for a September 2027 release on PC and both current and next-generation consoles. Unfortunately, the project fell through due to complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder of the Blade Runner franchise, resulting in its cancellation towards the end of last year.

In a separate development, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced in the summer of 2023 their foray into in-house game development with "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth," marking the first Blade Runner game in 25 years. However, since its announcement, there have been no further updates on its progress.

Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been managing multiple projects, including the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series titled "Directive 8020" and "Little Nightmares 3." The studio also faced challenges last year, announcing layoffs affecting around 90 workers, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, amid a period of consultation.

On a brighter note, fans of Supermassive Games can look forward to the cinematic adaptation of Until Dawn hitting theaters this weekend. For those interested, a detailed review of David F. Sanberg's take on Until Dawn for the big screen is available [ttpp].