Bioshock Creator Surprised by Irrational Games Shutdown

Summary

• Ken Levine reflects on the closure of Irrational Games after the success of BioShock Infinite, describing the decision as "complicated."
• Levine was surprised by the studio's closure, stating, "I thought they were going to continue. But it wasn’t my company."
• Anticipation grows for BioShock 4, with speculation about an open-world setting and lessons learned from BioShock Infinite's release.

Ken Levine, the director of BioShock Infinite and co-founder of Irrational Games, has shared insights on the studio's unexpected closure under Take-Two Interactive. Levine, who also led the development of the original BioShock in 2007 and its follow-up BioShock Infinite in 2013, announced Irrational Games' closure in 2014. The studio was later rebranded as Ghost Story Games in 2017, continuing as a Take-Two subsidiary. The gaming industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, including mass layoffs at companies like Riot Games and Ubisoft.

In an interview with Edge Magazine (via PC Gamer), Levine described the decision to close Irrational Games as "complicated." He revealed personal struggles during the development of BioShock Infinite that led to his desire to leave the studio, yet he hoped it would continue without him. "I thought they were going to continue. But it wasn’t my company," Levine stated, highlighting the shock felt by many involved. Irrational Games was renowned for its work on System Shock 2 and the BioShock series, but Levine's personal challenges during Infinite's development impacted his leadership. "I don’t think I was in any state to be a good leader," he admitted.

Despite the emotional impact of BioShock Infinite, its success led Levine to believe that Take-Two could have tasked Irrational with a BioShock remake, which he thought would have been a fitting project for the team. In an effort to mitigate the impact of the closure, Levine aimed to orchestrate "the least painful lay-off we could possibly do," offering transition packages and continued support to the affected employees.

Looking ahead, fans eagerly await BioShock 4, announced five years ago by 2K and Cloud Chamber Studios. While an official release date remains undisclosed, speculation suggests the game might feature an open-world setting while maintaining the first-person perspective of its predecessors. Many hope that BioShock 4 will incorporate lessons learned from the discourse surrounding BioShock Infinite.