Supermassive Games, the acclaimed studio behind horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the Dark Pictures anthology, has reportedly halted development on a previously unannounced Blade Runner game. According to Insider Gaming, the project titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was envisioned as a "character-focused, cinematic, action-adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative would have followed So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model Blade Runner, tasked with retiring the leader of a secretive replicant network. After being betrayed and left for dead, So-Lange's journey would have been segmented into phases of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.

Insider Gaming further disclosed that the game's budget was approximately $45 million, with $9 million designated specifically for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was slated to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience, with pre-production starting in September 2024 and an anticipated release in September 2027 for PC and both current and next-gen consoles.

The cancellation of Blade Runner: Time To Live reportedly stemmed from complications with Alcon Entertainment, the rights holder for the Blade Runner franchise, leading to the project's termination late last year.

In related news, publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed plans in the summer of 2023 to develop its first in-house game within the Blade Runner universe, titled "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth." Described as the first Blade Runner game in 25 years, updates on this project have been scarce since its announcement.

Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been busy with other projects, including the next installment in the Dark Pictures series titled "Directive 8020" and "Little Nightmares 3." The studio faced layoffs last year, with around 90 employees affected, as it entered a "period of consultation."

On a brighter note, fans of Supermassive's work can look forward to the theatrical release of the Until Dawn movie this weekend. For more on this adaptation, directed by David F. Sandberg, you can read our review here.