Blood: Refreshed Supply

This is the second remaster of Monolith Productions' 1997 MS-DOS game Blood from the specialists at Nightdive Studios (part of Atari). The first remaster, Blood: Fresh Supply, was released in May 2019; at that time, the developers did not have access to the original source code. Without the source code, the developers had to rely heavily on reverse engineering. "Reverse engineering is extremely time-consuming and is prone to mistakes, leading to various aspects of gameplay feeling off or not behaving exactly like how one would remember it. For more complex games, especially games released around the early 2000s, it is absolutely mandatory to have the full source code at hand," said Nightdive's lead KEX developer, Samuel Villareal, in Xbox Wire.

Things are different now with Blood: Refreshed Supply. Nightdive managed to gain access to the source code, which is often very difficult for games from that era. Often, there are no copies left, the owners are difficult to track down, or the rights situation is complicated — and game preservation was hardly an issue back then. The team at Nightdive emphasise that access to the source code is necessary to develop the most authentic remaster possible. This is why Blood: Fresh Supply is no longer available on PC — it has been replaced by Blood: Refreshed Supply.

Blood: Refreshed Supply has been rebuilt from the original source code of the game and upgraded to the latest version of KEX — Nightdive's proprietary, cross-platform game engine framework specially designed for the re-release of old games. Refreshed Supply features remastered cutscenes and a 'Vault' containing dozens of playable cut content levels, concept art, behind-the-scenes photos, and unused sprites. Expanded options have been added to improve enemy behaviour, while previously cut features such as weather effects have been added back in. Other enhancements have been made, including bug fixes for the original game levels.

The original Blood game comes with the existing add-ons, Plasma Pak and Cryptic Passage, as well as the new Marrow scenario, which is available at launch. An expanded Death Wish scenario will be released as a free update in 2026. The game supports high-resolution and unlocked framerates (up to 4K 120 fps visuals on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S), and offers fully customisable keyboard and controller support. There is also extended modding support, including support for existing mods. The game features local split-screen and cross-platform online multiplayer for up to eight players, with co-op, PvP "Bloodbath", and classic 4v4 team-based Capture the Flag modes. There is also support for CD and MIDI music.

So, what exactly is Blood all about? In this gory shooter, players must take on the role of the undead gunslinger Caleb as he seeks revenge against the dark god Tchernobog. Despite his former powerful position as a fearsome Cabal commander and one of the "Chosen" few, Caleb and his fellow Chosen were betrayed and slain by the dark god for unknown reasons. Seeking vengeance, Caleb rises from the grave to stop Tchernobog and his lieutenants. Caleb's arsenal features a mix of standard and occult weaponry, including the Flare Gun, Aerosol Can, Napalm Launcher, Dynamite, Tommy Gun, Sawed-Off Shotgun and Voodoo Doll, among others. Armies of bloodthirsty fiends, including cultists, gargoyles, zombies and hellhounds, alongside a host of other unholy terrors, await players across the game's 42 levels.

User reviews on Steam have given Blood: Refreshed Supply has received a mixed reception. Players have criticised bugs, the game's unfinished state, and its comparatively high price (even compared to Bethesda's Heretic & Hexen), despite the fact that owners of Blood: Fresh Blood receive a 66.6% discount. Nightdive has also been accused of abandoning Blood: Fresh Supply, instead of releasing patches and selling a new product, even though Nightdive claims that "further work is planned". Some users also point out that they would prefer fan mods such as NBlood or NotBlood.

Incidentally, the original version of Blood was banned in Germany until June 2022, after which the ban expired.

Blood was originally developed by Monolith Productions and licensed to Nightdive Studios by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Nightdive Studios is a global team of industry veterans dedicated to restoring classic PC games and making them accessible to a new generation of gamers. Popular titles include the enhanced editions of System Shock and System Shock 2, the remastered Turok trilogy, Shadowman Remastered, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, PowerSlave Exhumed, Quake II, The Thing: Remastered and a full remake of System Shock. Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster was only released on 20 November 2025. Nightdive Studios is a subsidiary of Atari.

Blood: Refreshed Supply was released on 4 December 2025 via Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, and on PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. It is priced at €27.99 on PC and €29.99 on consoles. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is set to launch in early 2026.

Conclusion

Blood: Refreshed Supply is an elaborate and expanded remaster of the classic gory shooter Blood, available on PC and consoles.

Features

• Technical enhancements for modern platforms and a console debut
• New mission scenarios: Marrow and Death Wish (due in Q1 2026)
• Restored content and a vault containing behind-the-scenes development material