Lead Writer Brian Mitsoda Laid Off of Vampire: The Masquerade 2

In a moderately shocking twist, Brian Mitsoda, a lead writer on the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, was just laid off by Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit labs. And if you’re anything like me, you can relax: it’s not because he’s been ousted as a pervert or an abuser. Rather, it’s part of an “organizational change” that the two companies working on this long-awaited vampire RPG are implementing.

“We appreciate, and value, the contributions of Brian and Ka’ai, which were instrumental in establishing the game’s storyline and dark tone and have helped to ensure that we are making a true successor to the iconic Bloodlines… These changes to the team are focused on one thing: to bring you the best possible Vampire: The Masquerade game.”

Replacing Brian Mitsoda is Alexandre Mandryka, a former creative director at Ubisoft (uh oh) who quit back in 2010 (whew) and has taken up consulting.

In a statement to Rock Paper Shotgun, Brian Mitsoda expressed an unsurprising amount of distress and surprise:

“That this came as a shock to me is underselling it. I’ve worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years. The story and main cast was initially conceived in my living room. I helped develop the pitch for Hardsuit Labs and helped pitch the project to Paradox in Las Vegas. I’ve been in charge of the narrative since the beginning, working long days and sometimes weekends to deliver a successor to Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, and I’ve never been led to believe that I hadn’t succeeded… The pride in the work, the fan expectations, and the support from co-workers who started out as fans kept me going through this long five years. And I’m incredibly disappointed and frustrated to say that this is where it ends for me on the project.”

I wouldn’t worry too much about Brian – the dude’s name has some pull, and he’s probably got other jobs he could fall back on. But it’s still sad to see a guy so passionate about a project and a world removed from his position due to internal politics. Here’s to wishing him the best.