Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has stirred up controversy before it even sinks its fangs into players. While the long-awaited sequel finally arrives this October, fans aren’t thrilled that two iconic clans – Lasombra and Toreador – are locked behind a $21.99 day-one DLC, or bundled with the $89.99 Premium Edition. 
The base game at $59.99 includes only four clans: Brujah, Tremere, Banu Haqim, and Ventrue.
For longtime fans, this stings. The original Bloodlines featured seven clans, and Toreador wasn’t just another option – it was a cornerstone of the lore. To see it cut and sold separately has sparked accusations that Paradox carved up the game to charge more for what feels like the “full” experience.
At Gamescom 2025, Paradox defended the move as a business choice. The publisher argued that adding clans fans demanded required extra development, testing, and writing. By packaging them as day-one DLC instead of releasing them later, the company says it’s giving dedicated players immediate access to content they’ve been asking for – at a price. “At the end of the day, it’s business,” a Paradox representative admitted.
The Chinese Room, the game’s developer, echoed that sentiment. Narrative director Ian Thomas explained that years of delays came from expanding the game’s scope to meet fan expectations, often negotiating for more time to implement requested features. That contributed to the October 21, 2025 release date, much later than planned.
But no amount of explanation has stopped the backlash. For many, day-one DLC feels like content sliced away to squeeze wallets. Some fans compare it to past Paradox practices, pointing to Cities: Skylines and its mountain of expansions. Others argue it’s simply the reality of modern AAA pricing – that $60 isn’t enough to cover ballooning budgets, and optional paid content is inevitable. There’s also a pragmatic camp who plan to wait for discounts or the inevitable “Complete Edition” rather than pay premium now.
Despite the uproar, previews suggest Bloodlines 2 captures the moody atmosphere of urban vampirism, mixing narrative depth with intriguing supernatural abilities. For players who’ve waited two decades for a true sequel, the question is simple: do you pay extra to sink your teeth into everything at launch, or do you wait for the shadows of a future sale?
2 comments
Paradox did same w/ Cities DLC mountain. no surprise here tbh
full price then sell the rest? f*** no. easy pass