BioShock 4 will definitely be released in the future, according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, but not before they are fully satisfied with the final product. Read on to learn more about the latest developments causing the game’s delay.
BioShock 4 Will Come Out Eventually, But Right Now It's Far From Being a "Great" Game
Leadership Changes and a Possible Overhaul
Bioshock 4 is still in development, and there is no sign that it will end within the year—not after the latest leadership changes and the rumored "narrative overhaul". Despite the alarming news, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the holding company responsible for Bioshock publisher 2K Games, told IGN that "[Bioshock 4 is] going to come out. That I can say hand on heart, without question."
Jason Schreier of Bloomberg reported on August 2, 2025 that 2K Games studio head Kelley Gilmore was removed from her position while creative director Hogarth de la Plante was moved to a publishing role. The sudden swap was decided on by senior executives who were allegedly unhappy with how BioShock 4 turned out, according to individuals in contact with Schreier.
Schreier also reported that BioShock 4 failed an internal review by 2K Games executives and subsequently had to be "revamped." The sources pinpointed that the game's narrative needed to be reworked entirely. It is worth noting, however, that this information comes from anonymous individuals. No one from 2K Games or Take-Two Interactive has explicitly verified this, but Scheier has also reached out to the company for an official statement.
In response, they said, "We are working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future. Right now, we have a good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one. We are working closely with leadership at the studio to define this path."
A 2K Games spokesperson who confirmed the leadership swap declared that they were "fully committed to ensuring [they] deliver a BioShock game that exceeds the lofty expectations of [their] fans."
Days later, IGN approached Strauss Zelnick for comment, asking whether BioShock 4 will be canceled. Zelnick said, "It’s going to come out. That I can say hand on heart, without question."
Zelnick admitted that developing BioShock 4 was tough, but that there are a myriad reasons why it is taking so long to complete the game.
"We have had some ups and downs along the way," he explained. "That is accurate. And we have had changes in studio leadership. That said, we have very big shoes to fill on BioShock because of the legacy of Ken Levine, the legacy of what has gone before, which has been so successful. And we need to make sure that this experience is true to the BioShock DNA on the one hand, and a massive step forward on the other hand. That's always challenging. We think we're up to the challenge, but it has not been seamless."
BioShock 4 was first announced on December 9, 2019 by publisher 2K Games, but no footage of the game has ever been released to the public. The last BioShock game, BioShock Infinite, was released in 2013.
Although BioShock has attracted a loyal and passionate fan base, with such a large gap in between the two games and virtually no content to keep them interested, fans are hard-pressed to muster any enthusiasm for the mysterious fourth installment, believing that BioShock was as good as "done," and that a new game would no longer have anything interesting to add to an 18-year-old franchise.
Now that fans have caught wind of the possibility that BioShock 4 may have to undergo a "narrative overhaul," it has become clear to them that the game will not be releasing any time soon.
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Next ‘BioShock’ Game Changes Leaders After Development Turmoil
BioShock 4 Is 'Going to Come Out,' Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick Promises: 'That I Can Say Hand on Heart, Without Question'
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