2K Games is laying off an unknown number of individuals at BioShock studio Cloud Chamber, as it undergoes efforts to “rework” its upcoming new BioShock game.
It’s also installing former Gears of War head and Diablo franchise lead Rod Fergusson as head of BioShock and Cloud Chamber at 2K. Fergusson departed Blizzard earlier this month with no word on why he left, or who would replace him.
This was gleaned from an email sent by 2K president David Ismailer to staff and subsequently shared with IGN. It reads, in part:
Work on the next BioShock game has been underway for several years. While we’re excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game, and in doing so are reducing the size of the development team to focus on this work and give the game more time in development.
Employees impacted are being informed today. 2K did not share how many were impacted.
“I recognize that today is a day of mixed emotions,” the email concludes. “We’re excited to have Rod joining us, and are equally grateful to everyone at Cloud Chamber who has helped us get this far. These changes are rooted in 2K’s firm confidence in BioShock as one of the most beloved franchises, and our commitment to deliver the best game in franchise history.”
BioShock 4 was first reported on in 2018, and news has been few and far between since. We know it’s been in development at Cloud Chamber at least since then, and that former BioShock lead Ken Levine is not working on it. We’ve yet to see any gameplay or learn much about the game beyond that it takes place in a brand new setting, and is open world. Earlier this month, a Bloomberg report stated that the game would be undergoing a development overhaul after it was criticized by executives for narrative issues. When we asked Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick about this a week later, he reassured that BioShock 4 was “going to come out” for certain, but did not share information as to when, or what needed to be done to get it there.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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