Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Launch Times, Editions, and Early Reviews Explained
- Sagar Mankar
- Oct 19
- 3 min read
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is finally set to release on October 21, 2025, bringing players back into the World of Darkness after years of delays and development shakeups. The game will launch simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with no early access period or regional tricks to get in ahead of schedule.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Release Time
If you’re planning to dive in the moment it goes live, here are the official global launch times:
October 21, 2025
Los Angeles (PT, North America – West Coast): 9:00 AM
Chicago (CT, North America – Central): 11:00 AM
New York (ET, North America – East Coast): 12:00 PM (Noon)
London (BST, United Kingdom): 5:00 PM
Paris / Berlin (CEST, Central Europe): 6:00 PM
UTC (Global Standard): 4:00 PM
New Delhi (IST, India): 9:30 PM
October 22, 2025
Tokyo (JST, Japan): 1:00 AM
Sydney (AEDT, Australia): 3:00 AM
This means no matter where you are, the game unlocks at the same global moment, just adjusted to your local time zone.
What You’re Getting at Launch
Bloodlines 2 puts players in the role of Nomad, an ancient vampire waking up in modern-day Seattle. The city is on the brink of a vampire war, and you’ll need to feed, fight, and navigate political intrigue to survive. It’s a mix of action, mystery, and role-playing that aims to capture the spirit of the cult-classic original.
Paradox Interactive has confirmed that all six clans: Brujah, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue, Nosferatu, and Lasombra are included in the base game. This wasn’t always the case. Originally, two clans were locked behind a Premium Edition paywall, but after heavy community backlash, Paradox rolled back the decision in September and made them available to everyone. Instead, the Premium Edition now includes an Expansion Pass with two story DLCs: Loose Cannon (Q2 2026) and The Flower & The Flame (Q3 2026).
Here’s a quick breakdown of editions and prices:
Standard Edition – $59.99: Base game with all clans.
Deluxe Edition – $69.99: Adds the Santa Monica Memories cosmetic pack plus the pre-order bonus.
Premium Edition – $89.99: Includes everything in Deluxe plus the Expansion Pass.
The Expansion Pass will also be sold separately for $29.99. Physical Premium copies come with extras like a SteelBook case. Full details here.
Early Reviews: A Mixed Bag
The review embargo lifted on October 17, and critics have been divided. On Metacritic, scores hover around 72–75/100, while OpenCritic shows only a 29% recommendation.
IGN gave it a 7/10, calling it “flawed but unique,” praising the atmosphere but criticizing uneven execution.
GameSpot also landed at 7/10, highlighting strong characters and story despite technical roughness.
Eurogamer was harsher with 2/5, describing it as “hollow and functional” despite good performances.
PC Gamer (78/100) noted that while it’s “good, sometimes even great,” it doesn’t fully embrace its RPG roots, which may disappoint long-time fans.
GamesRadar called it a “crying shame,” citing clumsy writing, repetitive design, and unstable performance.
Dexerto praised the political storytelling and atmosphere but criticized the lack of deeper TTRPG-inspired mechanics, saying it “shines as an adventure game, but falters as an RPG.”
Gamerant went further, calling it “one of 2025’s best stories,” even if the gameplay doesn’t always match the writing.
The Escapist praised the dual narrative structure, which alternates between the Elder vampire Nomad and a deceased detective named Fabien. The review called the story “the game’s strongest suit,” with well-crafted characters and a rich atmosphere.
GameSpew echoed that sentiment, saying the game “remains a compelling narrative adventure” despite not fulfilling all of its potential.
PCGamesN was particularly harsh, writing: “It seems The Chinese Room has taken all of Bloodlines’ bad bits—chiefly janky combat and performance woes—and somehow magnified them. Bloodlines 2 is neither a satisfying sequel nor a strong enough RPG experience to make the splash that the franchise sorely needs.”
If there’s one thing consistent across reviews, it’s that Bloodlines 2 nails the atmosphere, characters, and storytelling, but stumbles on technical polish and RPG depth. For some, that’s enough to make it a worthy successor to the cult classic. For others, it feels like a missed opportunity after years of anticipation.
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