Annapurna Interactive Begins In-House Development with New Blade Runner Game

Celebrated indie publisher Annapurna Interactive has announced its first game to be developed completely in-house, and surprisingly, it’s a Blade Runner game.

Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth was the finale of several games shown off at yesterday’s Annapurna Interactive showcase, a rundown of numerous upcoming projects from the publisher. 

The game was introduced by its director, Chelsea Hash, a longtime collaborator with Annapurna Interactive having worked on games such as What Remains of Edith Finch and Solar Ash.

The game’s reveal at the showcase took the form of a short and cryptic cinematic teaser, featuring narration from what is probably the game’s protagonist describing how he lost his job in the Black Out, an in-universe event referenced in Blade Runner 2049, and how he’s been called back to it. The game’s description on its Steam page confirms its placement in the series’ timeline and hints at its premise.

“Set between the original film and 2049, Blade Runner 2033 takes place after the events of the Black Out and asks: what does a Blade Runner do when there are no Replicants left to hunt?” the description reads.

Little else is known about the game at this time, with no specific information yet shared regarding gameplay, plot specifics, or release date, though Hash briefly spoke to IGN confirming that the game will heavily emphasize its narrative. Annapurna has confirmed that the game will be released on both PC and console, though which consoles have also yet to be specified.

Despite being advertised as the first Blade Runner game in over 25 years, there was a more recent game, 2018’s Blade Runner: Revelations, released for the oft-forgotten and quickly discontinued VR platform Google Daydream. This does mark the first traditional gaming experience in the series in about 25 years, though.