What Is Going On With the New BioShock Game?

A new BioShock game has been in the works for reportedly over a decade now, and yet, we don’t have a single official image, trailer, or even a proper title for the game. The BioShock franchise is one of gaming’s greatest gems, but it isn’t an IP that is very expansive. To date, there have only been three games and the last one, BioShock Infinite, was released all the way back in 2013. However, that almost proves its strength. Those three games have had a chokehold on fans for well over a decade thanks to their thoughtful storytelling, gripping gameplay, and captivating worlds.

However, it also means a high bar was set. After the successful release of BioShock Infinite, many assumed a fourth game would happen. However, creator Ken Levine made a shocking decision to effectively shut down developer Irrational Games by firing the majority of his team. The studio wasn’t in any kind of financial danger or anything, Levine just wanted to start fresh and make something with a smaller team. So, controversially, he kicked most of his staff to the curb and started anew, leaving BioShock behind in the process. Levine instead turned his focus to a game known as Judas, which feels like a successor to BioShock’s ideas in many ways.

However, that wasn’t the end of the franchise. A new studio known as Cloud Chamber was formed by Take-Two Interactive to make the next BioShock game. This was announced in 2019 and since then, official updates have been pretty sporadic and not always inspiring. With that said, I’ve rounded up almost every big piece of information that we know about the tentatively titled BioShock 4.

Everything We Know About BioShock 4

After the announcement that a new BioShock was in development back in 2019, but that’s not when it really began. According to Bloomberg, a new BioShock game has been in the works since at least 2014. It has undergone all kinds of internal reboots and overhauls, meaning it hasn’t been smooth sailing.

The game entered development with key people who worked on the original BioShock, including art director Scott Sinclair, designer Jonathan Pelling, and Hoagy de la Plante, who filled multiple roles across the first three games, but was tasked with being the game’s creative director this time around. This is pretty crucial, as it means BioShock 4 isn’t being made by outsiders; it’s made by the people who helped create the franchise’s identity the first time around.

As is typical with games, the team went back into the shadows to get the game made. In December 2021, we got arguably the biggest piece of news regarding the game thus far. Speaking on his podcast Sacred Symbols, ex-IGN editor Colin Moriarty reported that BioShock 4 wasa codenamed Parkside and it takes place in a fictional Antarctic city known as Borealis in the 1960s.

Moriarty went on to say that BioShock 4 was being kept super under wraps and that the team was set up for success, but there was a lot of internal pressure. It’s understood that everyone knows that whatever they put out will be compared to Ken Levine’s work, past and future, which means they have to get it right.

In February 2022, Netflix announces that it is developing a BioShock movie with director Francis Lawrence. While it’s not entirely clear if this is related, it feels notable to bring up. A lot of these video game adaptations do wonders for sales of a game. You are bringing new worlds to new audiences, which then generates interest and pushes people to go buy the game. As such, it seems like Take-Two would license the franchise out for a movie and try to time it with a new video game to boost sales and interest in the brand.

Almost four years later, the BioShock movie remains in development, though semi-frequent updates from the producers on the film assure fans it is still in the works. Lawrence is currently making a new Hunger Games film, and it is expected that he will move on to BioShock once that is finished. That may be another crucial piece of information that’s being overlooked, however, but we will circle back to that later.

In 2024, our first alleged look at BioShock 4 was revealed via a leaked screenshot of the game, courtesy of MP1st. The image came from a 2021 internal demo of the game and although it didn’t reveal much, it gave us some clues. For starters, inventive weaponry was on display in the form of a gun known as the “Ricochet Shotgun”, suggesting rounds fired may bounce around to hit enemies. You could also see a weapon wheel, suggesting you’d get to play with a bunch of weapons at a time.

On the other side of the screen, you could see the plasmids, which serve as special powers for your character. It appeared as though one would manipulate time, another would involve magnetic abilities, and the other one would give you electric powers, something we’d seen in previous games.

The time manipulation power seemed to play a more significant role than the rest, though. Not only was there a clock icon near the plasmids, but there was also an hourglass symbol near the health bar and some other unknown meter. This may suggest time is central to what BioShock 4 is about, but we have no idea to what degree.

In August 2025, it was reported by Bloomberg that BioShock 4 failed to pass an internal test, largely for narrative reasons. Leadership was unhappy with the project, which fans were starting to believe was stuck in “development hell”, meaning it was essentially stuck. Typically, these kinds of reports are ignored by developers and publishers, but that wasn’t the case here. To dispel concerns over the state of the new BioShock, 2K Games noted that BioShock 4 was good, but they wanted it to be great and needed to find a path to get there.

Around that same time, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick promised BioShock 4 would be released and this wouldn’t be a game that would get cancelled despite its extended development. This was reassuring as you don’t want to make a big promise like this if you don’t think you can keep it. Later that month, there were some dramatic shake ups at Cloud Chamber.

Rod Fergusson was brought in to work on BioShock 4 as the Head of the BioShock franchise. His hiring is an effort to help get the game across the finish line, but also help with other projects under the brand such as the Netflix film. Fergusson is best known for his work on the Gears of War franchise and Diablo, but he is largely credited for saving BioShock Infinite during its similarly bumpy development. He was brought in during the final year of development and helped make tough decisions to get the game out on time. As such, many see this as a promising sign that he will get BioShock 4 out in a reasonable time, without compromising on quality.

However, fans shouldn’t expect it to be released in 2026. Although BioShock 4 was reportedly targeting a late 2026 or early 2027 release prior to these shake-ups, the changes mean it will now miss that window. Instead, it is speculated that late 2027 or early 2028 is far more likely. A third of the staff at Cloud Chamber was laid off in August as a way of buying the team more time to work on the new BioShock and creating a more focused environment.

When Will We See BioShock 4?

It seems extremely unlikely we will see BioShock 4 anytime soon. With the game’s narrative direction being a source of unhappiness as recently as this past summer along with the changes in leadership, it’s likely that a lot of stuff is undergoing changes. As a result, it seems more likely we could see BioShock 4 at The Game Awards next December. It would be a massive announcement and if it’s targeting a late 2027 release, it would be the perfect time to start talking about it.

As mentioned earlier, the next game may be timed with the BioShock movie. Director Francis Lawrence will release his next Hunger Games movie in November 2026 and presumably, begin working on BioShock right after that. Lawrence is a pretty efficient director and also has the benefit of people who are likely helping him prep the movie, so it’s far along when he’s done with The Hunger Games. He released The Long Walk earlier this year, just weeks after filming began on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, a movie that was only announced this past spring.

In theory, a BioShock movie could come to Netflix by late 2027 or early 2028 if the transition between projects is smooth for Lawrence. It would allow for some good brand synergy and likely turn people towards BioShock 4, which would likely be very new and relevant around that time.

Regardless, it seems like 2K is committed to seeing BioShock 4 get made. Whether it turns out good is likely a completely different story. There’s a talented group of people trying to make this happen and it does sound like the game is probably solid, but the standards are high and they realize this game needs to be next-level in order to satisfy fans.

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