It's been quite a while since fans of the BioShock series have heard any news concerning the future of the franchise. Although 2K Games recently revealed that BioShock 4 is "in development," there hasn't been a peep from the publisher or developer since. This has left many dedicated fans anxious for any information regarding their beloved Steampunk universe and it still feels like BioShock's future is up in the air.

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Thankfully, it does appear that the gears are turning and that BioShock 4 will eventually be a reality, although it's not clear just how long it's going to take for a new developer to realize its vision for the iconic franchise. With E3 2021 coming and going, and no additional news spreading about BioShock 4's eventual release, it's easy to understand why the BioShock faithful feel so downtrodden. But information could drop in an instant and there's no reason to think that 2K Games isn't "all in" on ensuring that the dystopian-themed franchise continues in epic fashion.

Here's everything we know concerning the development and current state of BioShock 4.

It's been quite a while since fans have seen or heard about a new release in the illustrious BioShock franchise. The most recent entry, BioShock Infinite, released back in 2013 to critical acclaim, with many gamers absolutely enthralled by its unique Steampunk-inspired environment perched high above the clouds. Now eight years later, the dust has settled and dedicated fans are anxious over the prospect of a new entry in the beloved series.

Unbeknownst to many players, BioShock Infinite was the last title within the franchise created by Irrational Games, as the studio was effectively down-sized and transformed into Ghost Story Games, a group that plans to work under the 2K Games umbrella towards crafting smaller narrative-driven adventures. Irrational Games' series director Ken Levine discussed his displeasure in working on such a large-scale game in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone. According to Levine, the project negatively affected his health and took a toll on his personal relationships, prompting him to "leave" the studio and form another (with a smaller team). This is definitely sad news for anyone who appreciated the original BioShock formula that Irrational Games perfected over the years.

Unfortunately, there has been much news from would-be developer 2K Games concerning the next installment. However, we do know that the production of BioShock 4 has been handed over to Cloud Chamber, one of 2K Games' newest internal studios with offices in both San Francisco and Montreal, Canada. BioShock 4 will be the first title developed by the newly formed team, but there's reason to be excited about the current developer. Studio lead Kelley Gilmore was the executive producer at Firaxis games before helping create 2K Games' latest internal team.

Firaxis was responsible for the creation of the long-standing Civilization series, as well as the popular strategy franchise Xcom. It will be interesting to see if these powerhouse hits will inspire any unique mechanics within BioShock 4, or if any elements of "strategy" are included in the series moving forward.

As of writing, there is currently no official release date or window for BioShock 4. There has been much speculation throughout the industry on when players can expect to see the next installment but none of it has been confirmed nor denied by Cloud Chamber or 2K Games.

That hasn't kept rumors and potential release windows from popping up online. Here's a look at some of the information players know concerning the release of BioShock Infinite and what a potential timeline may look like:

• 2K Games confirmed in December 2019 that BioShock 4 was currently undergoing development.
• During a February 2020 financial report, 2K Game's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, revealed that BioShock 4 was still "several years" away.
• In 2010, Ken Levine revealed that Irrational Games had been secretly working on BioShock Infinite for over two years prior to its announcement. It wouldn't be until 2013 that the third title would release, making the total production time somewhere in the area of 5 years.
• If Cloud Chamber plans to use a similar release structure as their predecessors, it's possible that BioShock 4 will drop sometime in 2023, but this is purely speculation from the industry and fans.

Regardless of the release date, some fans are concerned about which systems will get access to BioShock 4 and if any particular platform will have any sort of exclusivity over the future title. It's safe to assume that the upcoming release will likely find its way onto Xbox and PlayStation platforms but the bigger question is whether it will find its way onto last generation's systems, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Considering developers see BioShock 4 as "several years" away, it's hard to believe that it will see a release on last-gen consoles. Players also know that the development team is working on the upcoming release for "next-gen consoles," thanks to some job listings posted back in 2020. Because of this, it's likely BioShock 4 will target the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. It's also likely PC gamers will see the title at launch (or at least in general) due to the other three games in the series making their way to Windows. Switch fans are also firmly in the mix, as BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition landed on the Nintendo console in 2020.

As of writing, there have not been any official "first look" or gameplay trailers released for BioShock 4.

The BioShock franchise features some of the most satisfying gameplay in the first-person shooter genre. The gunplay, mixed with resource management and the use of imaginative Plasmid powers is an experience like no other. It's pretty challenging too, with some sections of the original trilogy becoming a frantic battle against fast-paced enemies that could swarm players and instantly down them if they weren't careful. It's likely that BioShock 4 will feature some of the same mechanics as its predecessors but players could see a lot of new and interesting ideas from Cloud Chamber's development debut.

Perhaps the most interesting news concerning the next BioShock release is where the game will take place and what kind of environment players will explore. BioShock Infinite captivated fans with its transition to the world of Columbia, although it did still feature a DLC-based adventure through Rapture and was closely tied to the original games in both theme and story elements. According to some 2020 job postings at Cloud Chamber, developers are searching for talent to help them breathe "life into a new and fantastical world." This wording suggests that BioShock 4 will take place in a brand new location and it's unclear if the new area will have any ties to Columbia or Rapture.

The biggest news so far comes from yet another job listing at Cloud Chamber. According to the description of responsibilities for the Senior Writer position, the company is looking for someone with the skills to "weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting." This particular listing has set the industry ablaze with rumors and speculations, with many looking towards BioShock 4 as an open-world experience, which would certainly go a long way in shaking up the franchise and helping the upcoming title to stand out on its own in comparison to its predecessors.

There isn't much official information concerning what to expect from the combat mechanics in BioShock 4 but it's hard to imagine the release being too different from the original trilogy. Although it's clear that Cloud Chamber is intent on making their own experience that could possibly stray fairly far from Irrational Games' initial vision, players and fans of the series have come to expect certain gameplay elements from the franchise.

The frantic first-person shooting elements and use of plasmids are perhaps the two most important layers that gamers want to see in a BioShock experience, and it would be quite strange if Cloud Chamber deviated from that bare minimum. If Plasmids do return, it would be great to see some fan-favorites from previous releases, mixed with new and exciting skills. The sky's the limit past those mechanics, and it will be interesting to see what the new-and-upcoming developer has planned for BioShock 4. Hopefully, players will be greeted to a fluid open-world experience that features the gunplay, movement, and Plasmid-infused powers that have made BioShock such a successful series in the past.

Story is a big part of the quintessential BioShock experience. The gameplay has always been incredibly entertaining, fast-paced, and satisfying, but Irrational Games did a fantastic job creating a series of interesting and exhilarating storylines for the original trilogy. Here's what we know about BioShock 4's story so far.

We don't yet have any solid information regarding any potential characters for BioShock 4 and without a "general story" in place, it's pretty difficult to take a guess at who or what players may play as. With a brand new studio taking the helm and Irrational Games opting out of ever making a BioShock title again, it's possible we could see an entirely new narrative that is completely separate from the original trilogy. Cloud Chamber has a "universe" in which they can work but the canvas is pretty clean concerning characters, storylines, events, and even timelines. After all, BioShock Infinite itself fiddled with the prospect of time travel and the multiverse theory.

Much like the character conundrum, there isn't any official information concerning what BioShock 4's storyline will be about. Players do know that Cloud Chamber wants to create a "fantastical world" and need a writer who can "weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting," but past that, nothing. It's a veritable clean slate for the new company and offers them a great opportunity to prove themselves in the gaming space by crafting a truly unique story driven by the building blocks of the established BioShock universe. It's a tall order, and the group has some seriously big shoes to fill, with Irrational Games producing some of the best narratives to ever grace the FPS genre.

The rumors have been pretty rampant concerning BioShock 4, mostly due to the fact that players don't have much information regarding the upcoming release. Without a "who, what, when, where, or why," fans are busy theory-crafting their own ideas about the franchise and where it could be headed. Everything in this section should definitely be taken with a grain of salt, as none of the information has been confirmed nor denied by Cloud Chamber. Here's a look at some of the rumors surrounding BioShock 4.

Although there hasn't been much information regarding BioShock 4, there have still been many rumors swirling thanks to a "leak" from 4Chan user Zhykionn. The "leak" is extensive and makes many claims towards what the next BioShock will be, pointing towards the mysterious codename of "Parkside." None of the following claims have been confirmed nor denied by Cloud Chamber or 2K Games so take everything with a healthy dose of salt. Still, it's fun to imagine if any of the following ideas are actually part of the next BioShock adventure. Here's a look at some of the most interesting bullet points concerning the Zhykionn leak:

• Zhykionn claims the game will take place in London in 1971, set approximately 10 years past the original BioShock's storyline. Although this is a possibility, none of the trilogy used real-world locations as a setting and Cloud Chamber's job postings speak of a  "new and fantastical world."
• Supposedly, the story takes place around a dystopian version of London, with a community that is attempting to use ADAM to further their technologies and way of life. Unfortunately, the enhancive organism causes way more problems than first assumed.
• If the leak is correct, the maps for BioShock 4 will combine both open-world and linear sections.
• Zhykionn goes on to say that BioShock 4's "maps will be larger and richer than the previous chapters" and notes that developers will work on "enhancing environmental destructibility and further expanding the effects of plasmids on enemies, in-game maps and on environmental enigmas.”
• The leak suggests that some BioShock series characters will make a return, including Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, the Lutece Twins, and Eleanor Lamb.
• The main protagonist will supposedly be a young American man named Lucas. Being an orphan, Lucas has been forced to survive the cold streets of London by stealing items. A series of events will lead to Lucas being lambasted as the primary reason for the downfall of Rapture itself.
• Finally, the leak suggests there will be a cross-generation release, meaning players of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 would have access to BioShock 4 at launch. With how far-off the release seems to be, it's hard to trust this one.

It will be very interesting to see if any of the information above will come to light as we gain more information about BioShock 4 in the future.

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