Supermassive Games, renowned for their gripping horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the acclaimed Dark Pictures anthology series, has reportedly halted development on a previously unannounced game set in the iconic Blade Runner universe.

According to a report by Insider Gaming, the game titled "Blade Runner: Time To Live" was envisioned as a "character focused, cinematic, action adventure" set in the year 2065. The narrative would have centered around So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model and the last remaining Blade Runner, tasked with the mission to retire the leader of an underground replicant network. After being betrayed and left for dead, So-Lange's journey would have unfolded through a mix of stealth, combat, exploration, investigation, and intense character interactions.

Insider Gaming disclosed that the project had a hefty development budget of approximately $45 million, with $9 million allocated specifically for external performance capture and acting talent. The game was planned to offer a 10-12 hour single-player experience, with pre-production kicking off in September 2024 and a targeted release date set for September 2027 on PC and both current and next-generation 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 demise late last year.

In a related development, publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed plans in the summer of 2023 to create their first in-house game based on the Blade Runner franchise, named "Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth." Touted as the first Blade Runner game in 25 years, there has been no further news on this project since its announcement.

Amidst these developments, Supermassive Games has been busy with multiple projects, including the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series, "Directive 8020," and the development of "Little Nightmares 3." Last year, the studio faced challenges, announcing layoffs affecting around 90 workers, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, during a "period of consultation."

On a brighter note, fans of Supermassive's work can look forward to the theatrical release of the movie adaptation of "Until Dawn" this weekend. For those interested, our review of David F. Sanberg's take on "Until Dawn" for the big screen is available for reading.