2K’s new BioShock will be “reworked” as studio undergoes layoffs, hires ex-Diablo lead

BioShock 4 Big Daddy standing in front of Rapture

Published:

August 19 2025

Last Updated on 19 August 2025

By:

Lewis White

Reading Time: 2 minutes

2K Games has confirmed that new BioShock developer Cloud Chamber will suffer an unknown number of layoffs as the remaining team aims to “rework” the troubled fourth game in the popular horror series.

In an email sent to employees and seen by IGN, 2K president David Ismailer told staff that the publisher is “reducing the size of the development team” to “give the game more time in development” as a sizable rework of the project takes place.

In the email, the 2K executive praised the “foundational gameplay elements of the project” but explained that the title will “rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game”. This news comes after numerous reports claiming the project was in a troubled state. Additionally, a remake of the first game in the series is claimed to have been cancelled.

This leaked screenshot is allegedly from an early build of BioShock 4, showing new weapons, abilities and a mysterious new setting.

Alongside the new reworking initiative, 2K Games has hired former Gears of War and ex-Diablo studio head Rod Fergusson to spearhead the project. With a smaller team and additional development time, 2K hopes that the title will not only be finished to a suitable degree of quality, but will also be a worthy successor to the past games in the series.

“I recognize that today is a day of mixed emotions,” Ismailer told employees at Cloud Chamber . “We’re excited to have Rod joining us, and are equally grateful to everyone at Cloud Chamber who has helped us get this far. These changes are rooted in 2K’s firm confidence in BioShock as one of the most beloved franchises, and our commitment to deliver the best game in franchise history.”

BioShock 4, or whatever the title ends up being titled, has been in development of some form since 2018. In a report about Mafia 3 developer Hanger 13, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier reported that a number of employees had been moved to work on the fourth BioShock game.

The next game in the BioShock series was, at one point, designed to be an open world title in a brand-new setting with many believing the title to be based in Antarctica. It’s not known if the final version of the game will retain its previous open world elements.

About The Author

Lewis White

Lewis White is a veteran games journalist with over a decade in the field. Starting with beloved Xbox website ICXM/XboxMAD, Lewis became the Gaming Editor at MSPoweruser before becoming the Editor in Chief of StealthOptional and Gfinityesports. Lewis later jumped to By Gamers For Gamers where he jumped to become EIC of VideoGamer and the host of the New VideoGamer Podcast prior to the website’s acquisition.

Over the years, Lewis has also seen long-form investigative pieces published in outlets such as Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, Retro Gamer, Nintendo Life, and EDGE. Now, as the Editor in Chief of FRVR Blog, Lewis strives to bring the same level of quality journalism with interview-led content to the site in both written and audio form with the FRVR Podcast.

With a First Degree BA Hons in Games Journalism and Public Relations, Lewis has been a stable part of the British games press for over a decade, and has frequently displayed his love of Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and other games pretty much everywhere he’s worked. And FRVR is no different.

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