When it was announced, there was a lot of excitement around Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth. Revealed at the very end of Annapurna Interactive’s annual showcase in 2023, on paper it seemed like an exciting prospect.
A new Blade Runner game not just from anyone, but from one of the most prolific indie publishers in the business creating a game in-house for the first time. Then last week, the entire staff at Annapurna Interactive quit.
Which, we now know thanks to a report from IGN, included the entire development team for Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth. The report also goes on to confirm that despite the entire team having quit, development on Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth will indeed continue.
Annapurna Interactive also supplied IGN with this statement, which doesn’t specify Blade Runner 2033 but does speak to the current state of the publisher and to its immediate next steps.
“The whole situation is a baffler, but now we’re focused on moving forward. We’ve had really great conversations with an overwhelming majority of our existing development teams and are grateful for their partnership.
If our inbox is any indication, a ton of developers continue to want to be a part of what we’re building, and we look forward to seeing their pitches. We’ve also had an influx of quality job applicants and are excited to build a team passionate about our mission to tell original stories that aren’t being told elsewhere. P.S. We’re hiring.”
When Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth was announced, it was hinted at being an adventure game, something akin to the recently remastered classic Blade Runner title.
Now, with the whole staff being gone and a new one being brought in, it’ll be curious if anything about the version of the game the previous team was working on will remain, or if it’ll become something entirely different.
Source – [IGN]