It’s official: There’s a new BioShock game in the works

By Taylor Lyles December 9, 2019

2K announced today that a new installment in the BioShock series is currently in development.

According to the publisher, the next iteration of BioShock will be in development for the next “several years,” in the hands of newly formed 2K subsidiary Cloud Chamber. The studio will house two offices — one based in San Francisco and the other in Montreal.

“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,” 2K president David Ismail said in a statement. “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.”

Of course, this is not the first time we have heard of a new BioShock game in development. In April 2018, Kotaku reported that a secret studio located next door to Mafia III developer Hangar 13 had quietly begun working on a new BioShock title under the code name “Parkside.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cloud Chamber is led by industry veteran Kelly Gilmore, who previously worked for 2K under the company’s subsidiary Firaxis games, best known for developing the real-time strategy games Civilization and XCOM. With over two decades of experience, Gilmore has contributed to numerous projects and collaborated with several notable figures in the industry. including Civilization creator Sid Meier. Gilmore stated in an interview with GameDaily that working with the “father of computer gaming” has been inspirational and influential in establishing her own creative vision for Cloud Chamber.

While no official launch window has been provided, we can infer that the game will not see a release on current-generation hardware. With 2K confirming the game’s release is a few years away, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett slated to launch roughly a year from now, it’s no surprise that the studio will focus on developing the next BioShock title for the ninth-generation of gaming consoles.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Based out of Baltimore, Maryland, Taylor is a contributing writer for Digital Trends covering the latest news in the computer…

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing

A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Computing

Is this Razer’s Steam Deck killer?

The Razer Kishi Ultra sitting on a table.

Razer has been oddly quiet in the burgeoning world of handheld gaming PCs. When I met up with the company at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to learn about its new products, I was happy to hear it had an answer to the success of the Steam Deck.

But it was not the type of answer I was expecting.

Gaming

The best iPhone emulators

A collage of the delta emulator.

The market for iPhone games has become so wide and diverse that it can realistically compete with most console and PC offerings. Where we once only got cheap time-wasters, we now have complete experiences that don't feel any less impressive than what the competition offers. In fact, a lot of games made for consoles are appearing on the iPhone now that it is becoming so powerful. However, older games have paradoxically been mostly absent from the app store. That all could be about to change as emulation is now allowed on iPhone, though with some caveats that any retro fan should know about before getting too excited to play all your favorite NES games on your phone. Here's what's up with iPhone emulators, as well as our picks for a few of the best ones you can get right now.
What you need to know about emulation on iPhone
Emulators on iPhone, as well as emulation in general, are in a strange legal gray zone. Previously, the only way to get an emulator on your iPhone was through some workarounds that generally involved jailbreaking your phone, That differs from Android, which has enjoyed native emulators for years. In 2024, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow for emulators on its store, but with some important restrictions.

Here's the exact wording: "Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games. You are responsible for all such software offered in your app, including ensuring that such software complies with these guidelines and all applicable laws. Software that does not comply with one or more guidelines will lead to the rejection of your app. You must also ensure that the software adheres to the additional rules that follow in 4.7.1 and 4.7.5. These additional rules are important to preserve the experience that App Store customers expect, and to help ensure user safety."