2K has announced a new BioShock game is officially in the works at a newly formed internal studio, Cloud Chamber. However, don't expect this new game in the near future.
Cloud Chamber is a new studio, with locations in both Novato, California and Montreal, Quebec, headed by Kelley Gilmore, who has worked at 2K's Firaxis Games for nearly two decades in various capacities on Sid Meier's Civilization and XCOM.
According to 2K's announcement, the next BioShock will be in development "for the next several years." 2K has not officially announced any platforms nor targeted release date for this new BioShock.
Speaking to IGN over email, Gilmore said the team is at "the earlier end of our process" when asked how far along development on the new BioShock is. Gilmore also declined to say whether this new BioShock would function as a direct sequel in the series or as a reboot, instead only calling the project "the next iteration in the BioShock franchise."
Gilmore also declined to comment on whether the new BioShock would introduce a new cityscape as its setting or feature returns to Rapture or Columbia, saying "We...hope that fans love our future plans for this environment. That said, it'll be a bit of a wait for more details, as the game will be in development for several years."
Gilmore did also confirm that original BioShock creative director Ken Levine is "not affiliated with Cloud Chamber, nor is he involved with the studio's development process." Levine is instead continuing to focus on his work with the team at Ghost Story Games, which formally debuted in 2017 after Levine's previous BioShock team at Irrational Games started "winding down" in 2014.
Gilmore did, however, speak to the existing BioShock pedigree at Cloud Chamber, which includes Hoagy de la Plante as creative director after previously working on BioShock 1 and 2; Scott Sinclair as art director, a role Sinclair had on both BioShock and BioShock Infinite; and Jonathan Pelling as design director after previously working as the art team creative director on BioShock Infinite.
