Cloud Chamber, the studio developing BioShock 4, is undergoing a significant restructuring as Take-Two Interactive implements layoffs. Bloomberg reports that over 80 employees, or roughly 30% of the team, have been affected by the restructuring. The move has delayed the previously targeted late-2026 to early-2027 release window for the upcoming first-person action RPG.
To shepherd the project forward, 2K Games has appointed veteran producer Rod Fergusson, best known for his role steering BioShock Infinite and Diablo IV to success — as the new head of both the BioShock franchise and Cloud Chamber studio.
In a memo to staff published by Variety, 2K President David Ismailer explained that the team needed to “rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game” and that streamlining the development team would help refocus efforts toward quality and cohesion.
Just weeks ago, the studio already underwent a leadership overhaul after BioShock 4 failed an internal development review. Studio head Kelley Gilmore was removed, and creative director Hogarth de la Plante reassigned to a publishing role. The decision also led to the cancellation of a planned BioShock remake.
Despite over a decade in development, the project remains active. Recent job postings suggest it may be built on Unreal Engine 5 and could feature an open-world setting centered around a rumored 1960s Antarctic city known as “Borealis.”
For fans, the shakeups mean BioShock 4 will take longer to arrive, but the appointment of Fergusson signals that 2K is committed to steadying the ship. With development now refocused, the question is whether the long-awaited sequel can live up to the franchise’s legacy when it finally surfaces.
