Take-Two Interactive is having a rough time getting BioShock 4 off the ground in its post-Ken Levine era, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Top brass at 2K Games have reportedly shuffled the game’s management because they’re unhappy with the sequel’s development.
Cloud Chamber’s new BioShock game reportedly failed a review by 2K Games, with executives citing the game’s narrative in particular is something that will be “revamped.” 2K Games is said to have removed studio head Kelley Gilmore and reassigned creative director Hogarth de la Plante to a publishing role. Cloud Chamber staff were reportedly told the studio must become more efficient — a directive which employees worry could result in layoffs.
In a statement to Bloomberg, 2K said it’s “fully committed to ensuring we deliver a BioShock game that exceeds the lofty expectations of our fans.”
The next installment in the BioShock franchise and the existence of 2K’s Cloud Chamber studio was announced in 2019, but there hasn’t been much news on how development has been going. BioShock is one of gaming’s most successful franchises, selling over 43 million copies across three titles. However, no new game has launched since 2013’s BioShock Infinite. The long-awaited fourth installment has spent over a decade in development, bouncing between multiple studios before settling at Cloud Chamber.
Former BioShock director Ken Levine is now working on a new game, Judas, which looks pretty BioShock-y, at new studio Ghost Story Games.
