BioShock 4 hits a major development snag, and a remake of the original gets put on ice

BioShock fans will have to wait even longer to find out if we’re going to Rapture, Columbia or a brand new city since the next game in the franchise may be headed back to the drawing board. According to a report from Bloomberg, the latest BioShock game that’s being developed by Cloud Chamber failed a review with executives at 2K Games. Bloomberg‘s sources explained that the execs wanted improvement with the game’s narrative, which “will be revamped in the coming months.”

2K Games said in a statement to Bloomberg that it currently has a “good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one.” As the fourth installment in the hit BioShock franchise, it has to follow up on the success of BioShock Infinite, which was released in 2013 and earned several awards for overall design, gameplay, story and original soundtrack. The latest development hitch also comes along with some major changes in the game studio’s leadership. According to Bloomberg, Cloud Chamber’s studio head, Kelley Gilmore, left the role, while the studio’s creative director, Hogarth de la Plante, was shifted to a publishing position.

While the title isn’t confirmed, the game believed to be BioShock 4 was announced in 2019 along with the creation of the Cloud Chamber studio. We still don’t have a game six years later and the studio responsible may be at risk of layoffs, as the latest Bloomberg report mentioned a recent all-hands meeting where Cloud Chamber developers were told the company “needs to become more agile and efficient.”

The fourth BioShock isn’t the only game in the series that seems to be stuck in development hell. According to Bloomberg, the remake of the original BioShock was reportedly shelved earlier this year by 2K Games. The breakout hit that threw players into the unique setting of Rapture came out in 2007 and has since been remastered in 2016 as part of BioShock: The Collection. The remaster was made to support 1080p resolution and higher frame rates, but fans have been waiting for a complete remake that portrays the dystopian underwater city with more modern graphics.