Bloodhunt is a new free battle royale game set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade, and it's coming to PC (via Steam) this year.
Swedish developer Sharkmob, formed in 2017 by ex-developers of games such as The Division and Hitman, revealed Bloodhunt during today's Summer Game Fest kickoff. With a mix of ranged and melee combat spiced up by supernatural vampire abilities, Bloodhunt certainly walks the walk of Vampire: The Masquerade. We also got a brief glimpse at the game's character customization, which seems to offer cosmetics that go as deep as abilities.
A newly published FAQ helps fill in the story and setup of Bloodhunt. It seems rival vampire sects are at each other's throats in a locked-down Prague, all fighting to "restore the masquerade" while fending off Second Inquisition vampire hunters in 45-player battle royales. Bloodhunt will launch with solo and three-player squad battle royale modes, Sharkmob says.
"The entire match session revolves around killing all anarchs," Sharkmob explains. The central masquerade is also a mechanic within matches: "revealing your true nature to the civilians trapped within the lockdown area will expose your location to enemies."
With Bloodhunt being a free-to-play game, it will sell in-game cosmetics for real money, but Sharkmob maintains that it won't offer any "pay-to-win progression mechanics."
You can sign up for the first Bloodhunt closed alpha now via this online form. Alpha keys will also be distributed on the game's official Twitter account and Discord server, which you can find more information on here. The alpha begins July 2, and no other testing opportunities have been announced at this time. Don't worry, though; all alpha progress will be reset before the game launches, so participating won't give anyone an unfair advantage on launch day.
Sharkmob has stressed that the alpha is about more than technical stress testing; it's also hungry for feedback. "Now more than ever, PVP games depend on a strong relationship between community and developer, and we promise to be receptive, transparent, and collaborative," game director Craig Hubbard and producer David Sirland said in a joint statement.
Bloodhunt looks promising, and it's a good thing it's out this year; that'll make the wait for the indefinitely delayed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 much more bearable.
