“This Is the True Heir to Bloodlines”: Narrative Designer of the Canceled Sequel Is Making Her Own Game

The original Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines launched in 2004 — buggy, unfinished, and brilliant. Since then, fans have been waiting for a worthy successor. The official sequel failed to deliver. But maybe someone else will.

The story of Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 has become one of the most high-profile development collapses in recent years. Announced in 2019 with original creators returning and enormous hype behind it, the project soon descended into years of quiet turmoil behind closed doors. In 2020, Paradox fired narrative director Brian Mitsoda and the creative director; in 2021, it removed Hardsuit Labs from the project entirely. The entire narrative team was let go. The game was handed over to The Chinese Room, who delivered their own vision — which ultimately received “mixed” reviews on Steam and disappointing sales.

Cara Ellison worked at Hardsuit Labs as a senior narrative designer during that turbulent period. Her résumé includes Dishonored 2, Void Bastards, and God of War: Ragnarok — she’s no newcomer to the industry. Now she’s involved in developing Sleight of Hand at New Zealand-based RiffRaff Games, and she speaks about the project directly: “I feel like this is the true heir to Bloodlines.”

Sleight of Hand is a noir stealth game where a deck of cards replaces traditional weapons. A rain-soaked city, a witch coven, gothic atmosphere — tonally, it feels closer to the original Bloodlines than the official sequel ever did. In an interview with PC Gamer, Ellison said she still keeps the original installed — even though running it without patches is nearly impossible. According to her, the magic of the first game rested on three pillars: a “maximum goth” atmosphere, brilliant writing, and voice acting that was outstanding for its time.

Sleight of Hand has yet to be released, but it has been announced for PC and Xbox Series X|S and will launch on Game Pass. For Ellison, it clearly feels personal — an attempt to create what Bloodlines 2 ultimately could not. Meanwhile, despite development struggles and difficult financial results, a full roadmap of updates for Bloodlines 2 is planned for 2026.

Do you believe an indie project can capture the spirit of the original Bloodlines better than the official sequel? And are you a fan of the first game? Share your thoughts in the comments.