BioShock creator's new game reportedly in "development hell"

BioShock creator Ken Levine's next game is reportedly in "development hell."

The new information comes courtesy of a report from Bloomberg, which claims to have spoken to 15 current and former employees at Ghost Story Games, the studio which Levine founded in 2014. According to the new report, Levine's new game still doesn't have a name or release date after eight years in development, and has reportedly suffered from numerous reboots.

Chiefly, this is said to have been the case because of the significant level of autonomy provided to Levine by publisher Take-Two Interactive, which has now worked with the BioShock lead for over 14 years. This is allegedly because Take-Two views Levine as an "auteur" in the video game space, "capable of producing something magnificent," but former employees say this management style leads to burnout.

Despite numerous setbacks, the report from Bloomberg reveals that one current employee at Ghost Story Games believe Levine's project is finally on track. The employee apparently believes that although the finish line might finally be in sight for Ghost Story Games' debut, we could still be waiting two years before we finally see what Levine and company have been working on for the past eight years.

It's entirely possible that we could see another BioShock game before Ghost Story Games launches a title. Developer Cloud Chamber is currently tasked with development of the new BioShock 4 under publisher Take-Two, and while the project was announced back in December 2019, we've heard nothing about the new entry in the shooter series since. 

Check out our new games 2022 guide for a schedule of titles a little closer on the horizon.