The devs behind one of the most anticipated RPGs are trying to calm the firestorm over two vampire clans locked behind Day 1 DLC, but their justification only adds fuel to the fire. The Chinese Room’s defense of its controversial launch strategy hasn’t convinced anyone.

What should’ve been a celebratory announcement has instead turned into a PR disaster for The Chinese Room and Paradox Interactive. After years of development hell and delays, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 finally has a release date: October 21. But that good news came alongside a bombshell—only four of the game’s six vampire clans will be available in the base game, with Toreador and Lasombra locked behind a Day 1 DLC. The result? A major backlash from fans. And the devs’ attempts to explain the move have only made things worse.

According to the team, players will be able to choose from six clans, which serve as character classes with distinct abilities and traits. But two of them—Toreador and Lasombra—will only be available via a paid DLC launching alongside the game. The base game is priced at €59.99, while accessing all clans requires shelling out €89.99 for the full edition.

“Unplanned” content and the no-wait excuse

Fans were quick to vent their frustration—especially considering the original Bloodlines offered thirteen clans. At Gamescom 2025, a Rock Paper Shotgun journalist asked The Chinese Room for clarification. “I’ve been working on the game for two and a half years,” said Narrative Director Ian Thomas. “And in that time, we’ve gone through a lot of feedback loops—what players want, what they expect, and how alpha tests reflect that.”

“So we’ve made massive changes along the way,” he added. “We’ve added tons of story content and features. Paradox has been flexible and supportive when we or players suggested something more was needed—even if that meant delaying the release.” Thomas noted that the past few weeks were focused on adding extra content—including the paid clans, which come with new story branches and customization features. Design Director Jey Hicks added, “It’s not just filler. Everything we’re adding meets the same quality standards.” A PR representative later added that locking these clans behind DLC was about “not making players wait.”

Gamers call BS on the devs’ explanation

Unsurprisingly, the backlash hasn’t died down. The Rock Paper Shotgun article has been flooded with comments slamming the explanation as a smokescreen for monetization. Minty wrote, “If the clans are ready at launch, why are they not in the base game? Saying it’s to avoid delays is ridiculous.”

Emil Sohlberg added, “This is pure hypocrisy. Why even bother responding if you’re not addressing the actual issue?” Others turned their ire toward Paradox, a company infamous for its DLC practices. “No surprise. Aside from The Sims, Paradox has the worst DLC policy out there—just look at Stellaris,” commented Eridu.

In any case, the decision seems final. As stated earlier, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series on October 21. Whether this controversy will impact sales remains to be seen—but the long-awaited return of this cult franchise has already stumbled out of the gate.

Source: 3djuegos