Publishers Paradox Interactive and White Wolf, as well as developer The Chinese Room, have announced that the Lasombra and Toreador clans will be available in the base Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 experience following backlash from players.
The team behind the long-in-development sequel revealed its launch shakeup today alongside two new story packs – Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame – which will be available as part of the Expansion Pass in 2026. Additionally, Paradox, White Wolf, and The Chinese Room have pulled back the curtain on a new Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 overview trailer for players to sink their teeth into while they wait for its October 2025 release date.
Fans expressed disappointment in the handling of the Lasombra and Toreador clans when they learned they would be accessible at launch as $21.99 DLC or via the $89.99 Premium Edition. This original plan would have seen players locked out of finished content if they chose to stick with the four clans included in the $59.99 standard edition of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
It didn’t take long for players to bring their criticisms to the developers’ attention, and Paradox’s explanation to IGN only seemed to increase the tension. The uproar led the publisher to offer refunds to those who pre-ordered through the PlayStation Store, while promising to announce “big changes” September 17. Now, the day is finally here, and as many expected, Lasombra and Toreador are no longer locked behind DLC.
“Thanks to our community for the frank feedback on Bloodlines 2 and the Premium Edition. That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing,” White Wolf executive vice president and Bloodlines 2 executive producer Marco Behrmann said in a statement. “We’d also like to thank The Chinese Room for their quick turnaround on the concepts for the post-launch Story Packs. We’re constantly impressed by their creativity and skill in weaving enticing narrative threads that expand on the main story in Bloodlines 2.”
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will now have more content when it launches October 21, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, but its Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame story packs will offer even more to chew on next year. The former is said to “allow players to explore Seattle” as Camarilla Sheriff, while the latter focuses on Primogen Ysabella Moore.
Paradox says the Loose Cannon and The Flower & the Flame packs will be available via the Expansion Pass, which can be purchased individually for $34.99 or as part of the Premium Edition. Loose Cannon will arrive first in Q2 2026, with The Flower & the Flame set to follow in Q3 2026.
“The story continues with the Story Packs, each centering on a key Camarilla character from Phyre’s journey: Sheriff Benny and Primogen Ysabella,” an official description says. “These packs deepen Phyre’s story and reveal Seattle’s World of Darkness through their eyes, offering fresh insights into their motivations and new angles on the city’s hidden power struggles.”
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is out in one month, but the road to its launch has been notoriously long. Paradox announced it all the way back in 2019 with then-developer Hardsuit Labs leading the charge with a Q1 2020 release window. That, of course, never happened, as Paradox would go on to announce an indefinite delay, alongside Hardsuit departure from the project, in early 2021.
The Chinese Room was then announced as its new developer in 2023. Although additional delays would roll out throughout the following years, we are now closer to a Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 release date than ever.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
