The new Bioshock game in development at Cloud Chamber Games is in difficulties, according to sources of the multiple and anonymous persuasion. Announced in 2019, the game has reportedly failed a recent internal progress review, with its narrative found to be in particular need of revamping.
Publishers 2K Games aren’t talking about any of this, naturally, but they have confirmed that they’ve treated Cloud Chamber to a not-at-all punitive studio reshuffle, with Kelley Gilmore losing her position as studio head, while former creative director Hogarth de la Plante has been reassigned to a publishing role.
The report comes care of Bloomberg (paywall), who cite “people familiar with the situation”. Gilmore and de la Plante’s reassignments may not be the worst of the fallout. According to Bloomberg, staff were told at a recent all-hands meeting that they had to become “more agile and efficient” – a phrase equivalent in balefulness to “would you kindly”, and a possible indication that layoffs are on the way.
2K Games ain’t talking about that either. Here’s what they’ve said to IGN:
We are working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future. Right now, we have a good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one. We are working closely with leadership at the studio to define this path.
Little is known about the new Bioshock, which may not be titled Bioshock 4 inasmuch as reverting to numbered sequels feels a bit ridiculous after Bioshock Infinite. I used to win a lot of playground arguments by dint of the formula “timesed by infinity… plus one“, but I can’t see a major games publisher adopting that particular rhetorical gambit as a naming strategy. Ehhh, maybe Square Enix.
The little we know about the new Bioshock includes the fact that original series figurehead and videogame thespian Ken Levine isn’t working on it. He’s off making Judas at Ghost Story Games. Beyond that, we can only speculate based on previous instalments. There will, presumably, be a man, a city and a lighthouse. It’ll be an FPS with a sprinkling of imsim and some arch literary ambitions, and there will be a false utopia of some kind. You will be able to shoot animals out of your hands.
The Bloomberg report also alleges that 2K Games cancelled a Bioshock 1 remake earlier this year. I think I can probably do without a Bioshock remake, but I’m sorry for any developers potentially affected. Best of luck to all at Cloud Chamber bringing Nushock home.
