2K Games has confirmed that a new BioShock game is in development at Cloud Chamber, a recently assembled studio. The developer has two offices, one in Novato, California and the other in Montreal with the latter helmed by former Zynga GM Ken Schachter. Global development will be led by Kelly Gilmore who’s worked at Firaxis for nearly 20 years (and has the Civilization and XCOM games to her credit).
Gilmore stated that, “We founded Cloud Chamber to create yet-to-be-discovered worlds – and their stories within – that push the boundaries of what is possible in the video game medium. Our team believes in the beauty and strength of diversity, in both the makeup of the studio and the nature of its thinking.
“We are a deeply experienced group of game makers, including many responsible for BioShock’s principal creation, advancement and longstanding notoriety, and honored to be part of the 2K family as stewards of this iconic franchise.”
2K Games president David Ismailer said that, “As we continue growing our product portfolio, we remain inspired by opportunities to invest further in our valuable IP, great people and their collective, long-term potential. BioShock is one of the most beloved, critically praised and highest-rated franchises of the last console generation. We can’t wait to see where its powerful narrative and iconic, first-person shooter gameplay head in the future with our new studio team at Cloud Chamber leading the charge.”
Of course, it’ll be a while before the game is even showcased – Cloud Chamber will be working on it for “the next several years”. It seems likely that it could to Xbox Scarlett and PlayStation 5 down the line but even that could be several years off. The real question is what form will the sequel take.
Will it be an FPS/RPG akin to the first two games? Or will it venture more into immersive sim territory, like creator Ken Levine’s upcoming new title at Ghost Story Games? Whatever the case may be, it’s going to be a long journey ahead for the franchise.
