Ken Levine, the creator of the incredibly popular BioShock series, has been developing a new game for nearly the last decade. However, a recent report from Bloomberg hints at the game being stuck in a state of limbo.
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According to the report, Levine’s newest game — which has no name or release date — began development in 2014, and has been hit with various reboots, changes in direction, and much more. In interviews with 15 current and former employees at developer Ghost Story Games, many seem to point the finger at Levine himself for the reasoning behind the game not having been released yet.
Bloomberg notes that the plan was to build upon a premise known in the studio as “narrative Lego” with a sci-shooter similar to BioShock, that was set on a mysterious space station inhabited by three different factions. In the game, players would be able to act as an ally, enemy, or play the middle for each of their actions. The game was initially planned to release in 2017, but nearly nothing has come out about the game since its conception in 2014, with many employees pointing to Levine consistently throwing out ideas that the team has spent months working on.
“The type of game being explored does not match well with the creative process being used,” said Andres Gonzalez, a founding member of Ghost Story Games who has since quit. The report also mentions various internal strifes with Levine, including clashes that led to the firing or resigning of various employees in 2017.
Mike Snight, one of the members of Irrational Games that joined Levine at Ghost Story Games in 2014, also quit the studio eventually, noting that Levine’s style of development did not align with his own. “When it continuously goes in cycles and you don’t align anymore, you kind of get tired of being part of that,” Snight said. “I wasn’t really happy anymore.”
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Currently, it’s unclear when Levine’s game will ever release. The report goes on to mention that some members of the studio do believe the game is on track now, but still don’t think it will end up being released for at least two or more years, leaving those hoping for a new title from the celebrated creator having to wait.
