Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth – Setting, developers, gameplay details, more

❘ Published: 2023-06-30T05:13:46

Annapurna Interactive

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe,” like a brand new Blade Runner game more than four decades on from the iconic film’s initial release. Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth is real indeed and we’ve got the early rundown on all there is to know.

Although Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic didn’t quite connect in its initial box office run, the seminal production soon became a cult classic that inspired an entire genre in the years that followed. Ever since, we’ve been treated to the 2049 sequel alongside the Black Lotus anime, but now, a full-fledged video game is on the way too.

Following the controversially poor repackaging of the 1997 Blade Runner game with the 2022 Enhanced Edition, fans are now in store an entirely new experience. Labyrinth is currently in development and while it’s early days yet, we already know a great deal about the upcoming title.

From its place in the Blade Runner franchise to the unique development team leading the charge, here’s all you need to know about Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.

Is there a release date for Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth?

Currently, there’s no release date locked in for the upcoming Blade Runner game. Despite its reveal in June, 2023, the initial trailer didn’t come with a release date or even a rough release window tacked on at the end.

So for the time being, there’s no quite telling when Blade Runner 2033 may arrive. As a result, it would be wise not to hold your breath on a 2023 release, as we’re likely looking at a 2024-2025 target at the earliest.

What platforms will Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth release on?

Although specifics haven’t been locked in, an initial outline of Blade Runner 2033 confirmed the game will be launching across both PC and console platforms. Though exactly which consoles remains to be seen at the time of writing.

Labyrinth could very well be a current-gen exclusive, meaning only those on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S will have access, or it could still support last-gen hardware if it’s not all too demanding.

We’re sure to hear plenty more in the coming months so check back in shortly for a clearer picture on platforms in focus.

Set in 2033, the upcoming Blade Runner game is set to visualize a new period we’re yet to see in action, a stretch of time after the Black Out.

Who’s making Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth? Developers revealed

Blade Runner 2033 is set to be the very first video game developed in-house at Annapurna Interactive. Historically, the company has largely served as a publisher, giving novel indie games a platform in which to captivate an audience. Smash hits like Outer Wilds, The Artful Escape, and Stray have all been backed by the team at Annapurna.

This time around, however, the company isn’t helping another developer push its game. Rather, the team at Annapurna is directly responsible for the development of the Blade Runner game.

While the team itself is new on the whole, individual developers certainly have plenty of experience. “Our core team is made up of senior artists, engineers, and designers with decades of shared experience making games,” Annapurna’s website outlines.

Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth trailers

The very first reveal trailer debuted on June 29, 2023 during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase. This roughly 90-second look gave us our first glimpse at the game’s art style though it’s yet unclear if anything shown was actual gameplay.

You can watch the Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth reveal trailer in full below:

Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth plot details

Although we’re yet to see the full picture with regard to the story of the new Blade Runner game, we do have plenty of early nuggets of information to run with.

Firstly, as you may have pieced together from the name alone, Blade Runner 2033 is set between the first film and its sequel, taking place in 2019 and 2049 respectively.

Assuring previous projects remain as canon, the game takes place after the Black Out of 2022, as seen in the anime film. Following an electromagnetic pulse, Replicants were taken out of the equation in this 2022 storyline.

With the Tyrell Corporation bankrupt, the Wallace Corporation takes over and begins production on a new line of Replicants in the following decade. It’s here, amid the genesis of these new machines, that this game seems to take place.

As a former member of the LAPD, it appears we’re getting back in the saddle in 2033.

Assuming the role of a Blade Runner, the exact nature of our goal remains a mystery. Having previously “lost a job” due to the Black Out, with Blade Runners no longer needed to track down and retire Replicants, something brings this one particular detective back into action.

“Digging through the pieces, being someone else, in places that no longer exist, that’s where you’ll find me, searching in the land of the dead.”

If we assume gameplay largely revolves around detective work, we can see a list of clips to analyze on the left-hand side here, ranging from 2016-2029.

Thus, we can expect a good chunk of the game to focus on said detective work, analyzing photos and videos, digging to the bottom of whatever case has required the work of a Blade Runner once again.

For now, that’s all we know about the upcoming Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth game. Though we’ll be sure to update you here with any further information as new details emerge.