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Yesterday, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that BioShock 4 developer Cloud Chamber was facing layoffs, with an unspecified number of staff being let go. At the same time, it was announced that former Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson would take over as the new studio head.
Today, Take-Two confirmed the cuts. According to Schreier, 80 members of Cloud Chamber’s 250-person team were affected by these layoffs. This development led to speculation that BioShock 4 might not be released until mid-to-late 2027.
In an internal email shared with Bloomberg, 2K president David Ismailer commented on the decision-making process behind the layoffs. He stated, “While we’re excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve decided to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game. In doing so, we’re reducing the development team’s size to focus on this work and give the game more time in development.”
Ismailer added, “I know this is tough news for everyone. If your role is being affected, you’ll hear from your manager or studio leadership today with details on severance, career services, and support resources. There is no easy way to do this, but we hope to do whatever we can to support you through this. I want to thank each of you for your dedication and hard work.”
Sources spoke to by Schreier revealed that BioShock 4 had an internal release target of “late 2026 or early 2027,” but due to the restructuring, the timeline has been pushed back further. The game might not arrive until mid-to-late 2027, if it launches in 2027 at all.
Schreier’s report highlighted issues Cloud Chamber faced over the years, including the challenge of building a big-budget triple-A game while establishing a new studio simultaneously. This development is unfortunate, considering how much excitement players felt for BioShock nearly a decade ago.
It remains to be seen whether BioShock 4 will have the same impact in 2027 that it would have had in 2016, three years after BioShock Infinite’s launch. At this point, Take-Two has invested too much to stop now, but Fergusson and the remaining team may still pull off a successful release.
