Last month, 2K Games announced the formation of Cloud Chamber, a new wholly owned development studio working on “the next iteration of the globally acclaimed BioShock franchise.” Franchise fans were understandably quite excited about the news. After all, the series hasn’t seen a new iteration since 2013’s BioShock Infinite. While many fans likely have an opinion on where the series should go next, Jordan Thomas, the creative director on BioShock 2, has also weighed in. Thomas worked on every game in the franchise before leaving 2K Games. In an interview with Tech Radar’s Samuel Horti, Thomas was asked where he’d like to see the franchise go next, and his response was that he hopes the next game will take players somewhere they won’t expect.
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Didn’t use in piece, but asked @nullspeak about his hopes for next BioShock. “I hope they cast off the chains of the past, that they feel as unbound as possible…that is what I’d hope the series [is] known for: taking you to places you didn’t expect, thematically and physically”
— Samuel Horti (@SamuelHorti) January 5, 2020
Of course, the BioShock franchise is certainly known for taking things in unexpected directions. The story of BioShock Infinite was influenced by a number of historical and then-current events, including the Occupy Wallstreet movement and the theme of American exceptionalism. Since the game’s release, a number of major historical events have changed the political landscape, so it will be interesting to see if Cloud Chamber uses that as fodder for the next game’s storyline, or if things instead go in a totally different direction. With a series like BioShock, there are certainly a number of places where things can go!
It’s always a challenge for a new team to revisit a beloved property; just ask JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson about all the backlash they received while creating the most recent Star Wars trilogy! That said, 2K Games clearly knows that fan expectations will be very high for the new BioShock title. Hopefully the publisher will give Cloud Chamber all the time they need to make a product that lives up to what fans (and former developers) all hope to see!
What are your thoughts on the new BioShock? What do you hope to see in the next game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
