When is the Blade release date? The Daywalker returns to the videogame space just in time for his 50th anniversary, as Marvel and Arkane Lyon join forces to bring fans an all-new chapter in Blade’s story. Marvel Games VP and creative director Bill Rosemann calls the collaboration a “perfect fit”, and we can’t wait to sink our teeth into all the details ahead of the Blade release date.
Marvel’s Blade was a surprise announcement at The Game Awards 2023 for any fan who’s been holding out hope for a modern Blade game to accompany the vampire hunter’s impending debut into the MCU. From the glimpse we’ve seen, Marvel’s Blade promises to be a superhero game quite apart from the offerings we’ve seen in recent years. Half-human, half-vampire, all badass – here’s the latest on the Blade game release date.
Marvel’s Blade release date estimate
The Blade release date will likely be in late 2025 at the very earliest. This estimate is based on the release dates for Arkane Lyon’s previous games, which typically fall around two years after their announcement. While Dishonored 2 launched around a year and a half after its announcement, it’s more likely that Blade’s release date will align closer to Deathloop’s two-and-a-half-year gap.
Since the Blade announcement was late last year, and we’ve only seen one trailer so far, it’s clearly still in early development. There is a rumor from industry insider, Jeff Grubb, who revealed on the XboxERA podcast that Arkane Lyon is targeting a 2027 release date. This would make sense if Blade was scheduled to land on next generation hardware.
While Blade’s platform availability is still unknown, it’s almost certain that the vampire game is coming to the Xbox platform thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax, which includes Bethesda and Arkane. This also means we could see Blade on Game Pass at launch for PC players.
Marvel’s Blade trailers
The Blade announcement trailer debuted during The Game Awards 2023. While this early glimpse at the action-adventure game is mainly conceptual, it lays the groundwork for the story’s premise. We find Blade in a Parisian barber’s, as a Frenchwoman’s voice over a tannoy declares: “Attention, the sun is currently setting. All citizens are required to shelter indoors until dawn”.
A scrolling news feed tells of widespread social unrest: a takeover of a popular social network, tense gatherings in districts, social movement clashes, and untraceable explosives. An urgent countdown accompanies these headlines, but whether this relates to a vampiric hunt or human civil disorder remains to be seen. The trailer culminates in the lockdown going into effect, indicated by a droning air-red siren and a red alert light. Blade dons his signature trench coat and sunglasses, along with a pistol, grenades, and – of course – his titanium sword.
The announcement trailer’s visuals also incorporate the Ben-Day dots popularized in retro comic books. Look closely, and you can spot the tell-tale dots lurking in the trailer’s painterly style. It’s currently unclear whether this aesthetic will continue through into gameplay, but it’s an excellent nod to Blade’s comic book origins.
Blade gameplay
Marvel’s Blade is set in Paris, a far cry from Blade’s home of Detroit but the perfect setting for Arkane Lyon – in fact, it’s game director Dinga Bakaba’s hometown. Players can expect to explore and clear out vampire-infested Parisian districts under quarantine as humans take shelter from the threat.
Bakaba describes Blade as a “mature” single-player game that drops you into the heavy boots of the legendary Daywalker himself. It will also be in third-person, unlike Deathloop and Dishonored, and this camera perspective will give us a good view of Blade’s expert swordsmanship and martial arts skills.
While we haven’t seen official gameplay trailers yet, Rosemann praised Arkane Lyon for “continually push[ing] the boundaries of game design and innovation”. Equally, co-creative and art director Sebastien Mitton described the project as “the perfect opportunity to push Arkane’s art style into an even more modern and bold territory.” While we expect plenty of action, blood, and stakes situated in a loose immersive sim framework, it appears even more is up Arkane Lyon’s sleeve.
While you wait for the Blade release date, here’s a quick peek at the upcoming PC games to mark on your calendar. We’ve also got the best horror games if you’re on the hunt for close encounters with supernatural entities just begging for a stake to the heart.