BioShock 4 fails to impress at internal 2K review resulting in leadership shake-up and revamped narrative

Cloud Chamber, the studio tasked with reviving the decade-dormant BioShock series, has reportedly failed an internal review with 2K Games execs, resulting in a leadership shakeup.

Anonymous sources speaking to Bloomberg said it was the game’s narrative, in particular, that apparently failed to impress, and was “identified as an area in need of improvement [that] will be revamped in the coming months”.

Following the review, studio head Kelley Gilmore was ousted, and creative director Hogarth de la Plante moved into “a publishing role”. The rest of the Cloud Chamber team was told in an all-hands meeting that the company needed “to become more agile and efficient”. Colleagues are now worried that cuts may follow.

In response to the report, a 2K spokesperson acknowledged the change at the top of the studio to Bloomberg, saying it remained “fully committed to ensuring we deliver a BioShock game that exceeds the lofty expectations of our fans”.

“We are working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future,” 2K Games said in a statement. “Right now, we have a good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one. We are working closely with leadership at the studio to define this path.”

Sadly, there’s even more bad news for BioShock fans. Right at the end of the report, Bloomberg confirmed both the existence – and the cancellation – of a remake of the first BioShock game. It’s unclear why the project was cancelled, but sources say it was shelved earlier in the year.

Netflix’s BioShock adaptation was similarly “reconfigured” last year to be a “more personal” film with a tighter budget. Producer Roy Lee told fans at a panel at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con that changes at the top of Netflix’s movie department have seen the budget streamlined, so “we’re doing a much smaller version… It’s going to be a more personal point of view, as opposed to a grander, big project”.