BioShock creator’s next game is reportedly in development hell

BioShock creative director Ken Levine started his own studio, Ghost Story Games, back in 2014 — and we’ve yet to see a glimpse of what the team has been making. A new report may shed some light on why.

Bloomberg reports that Ghost Story’s first game is in a state of development hell, according to
“15 current and informer employees” of the studio who were interviewed for the article. These 15, “most of whom requested anonymity because they feared repercussions,” said Levine alienates those who oppose or fail to meet his vision — a vision which has had “numerous reboots and changes in direction.”

One particular sticking point is the difference “between the type of game [Ghost Story] set out to make and the kind Levine [is] used to directing.” According to the employees, features were changed or scrapped before they were complete, a mismatch for many of their creative processes. At this point, Ghost Story’s game has been spinning for seven and a half years — a lengthier development cycle than Take-Two’s previous long-anticipated blockbuster Red Dead Redemption 2. Although things seem to finally be on track, one employee estimates the game still won’t release for another year or two.

As for the franchise Levine left behind, BioShock 4 is also in development. A new studio, Cloud Chamber, was founded in 2019 to produce the project. BioShock series veterans Hoagy de la Plante, Jonathan Pelling, and Scott Sinclair are steering development of this next game too.