News broke this week that Paradox Interactive would take all World of Darkness in-house and work with Renegade Game Studios as a publisher.
A new book, Vampire: the Masquerade Companion, was announced as a digital freebie for anyone with a Paradox account and it would re-introduce Tzimisce, Ravnos and the Salubri to the World of Darkness.
Nothing was said of Modiphius Entertainment, who have been working on Vampire v5 for two-years, steadying the ship after White Wolf’s rocky start, nor Hunters Entertainment who had been working on Werewolf v5 for about a year.
Would the recently released Vampire books be out of date? Would the Werewolf book ever get released?
Via Outstar, aka Martyna Zych, the popular streamer and communicator who looks after the community, Paradox released a World of Darkness FAQ via Discord.
1. Will VTM: Companion be available in printed form?
VTM Companion will release for free in December in digital PDF from. We received a lot of questions about printed version, so we’ll look into this and give you updates. Safe to say that no printed version in 2020, though!2. What about your relationship with Onyx Path Publishing and regional publishers (Nosolorol, Alis Games, Arkhane Asylum, Ulisses Spiele, Need Games!, Galapagos Jogos, Studio 101)?
They all remain unchanged!3. What about Werewolf: The Apocalypse v5?
It’s being developed in-house, under creative lead of Justin Achilli, with a diverse cast of writers – both by folks you might already know and some new faces. Full list TBA, we’ll keep you informed on Werewolf as the development progresses.4. When can we expect Werewolf/Second inquisition/Player’s Guide?
Sabbat Sect Book is our next priority after V5 Companion, and we will update you with the extended timeline as soon as we can.5. Can I still buy V5 TTRPG books in retail stores/online?
Yes. You shouldn’t experience any interruption in the availability of all the V5 TTRPG books that are published currently.6. Does the new change mean that previous V5 books are not canon?
No, all previous V5 books remain canon.Last but not least, a server-wide announcement: we ask you to refrain from any negative, sarcastic or downright insulting comments about diversity/sensitivity reading, and recommend everyone who shares the view that it “ruins your fun” to educate yourself on what it really means in practice, and how it can benefit you and your table, regardless of your background or roleplaying preferences.
Neither Hunters nor Modiphius is mentioned, credited or thanked in any way, but this could be because conversations with both companies are still ongoing.
The FAQ even says that “folks you might already know” are in these discussions around these projects. That leaves the door open, for now, for the Hunters team and the writers Modiphius had appointed.
It’s also incredible that there are still gamers out there who think diversity/sensitivity reading in harms the industry in any way rather than helping to sell books and keep the hobby healthy. Good on Paradox for nipping that in the bud.
Creative Commons credit: Terraform by ThemeFinland.
How do you feel about Paradox taking Vampire: the Masquerade and Werewolf: the Apocalypse back in-house?
