BioShock is far too beloved a franchise to disappear completely. We heralded BioShock Infinite, especially as it connected back to the original game with its DLC expansions. The series was released in a collection on the current generation of consoles, but we have yet to get a brand new BioShock game for PS4 and Xbox One.
While working on a story about Mafia III developer Hangar 13, Jason Schreier came across some interesting information: There is a top-secret 2K studio working on a top-secret BioShock game which is apparently not so top secret anymore.
Among other details I learned while reporting this story: Right next to Hangar 13, a top-secret 2K studio is now working on a top-secret new BioShock game.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) April 13, 2018
Diving into the actual story reveals details about turbulent times at Hangar 13 following the release of Mafia III. Some of the members of the studio went over to this new 2K studio to work on the new BioShock game, codenamed “Parkside“.
A year and a half later, however, Hangar 13 is a far different place. This past year was a turbulent time for the studio, as it floundered while trying to figure out what its next game would be. Many of the people who helped make Mafia III are now gone, including the game’s art director, technical art director, senior producers, design director, many design leads, and a number of other key staff. Some left voluntarily; others were let go or asked to move. Some went to other game companies; others moved to the top-secret studio next door to work on an unannounced new BioShock game…
…employees of Hangar 13 couldn’t help but look with envy at their neighbors. Next door, a small group of people were working on a project code-named Parkside, quietly recruiting from across the video game industry for a game so secret, they wouldn’t even tell their colleagues at Hangar 13 about it. Word got out, though, that it was in fact a new game in one of the most interesting shooter franchises of the past decade: BioShock.
While there’s a lot of excitement surrounding “New BioShock” as a major headline, the Hangar 13 piece is an extremely interesting read. It details a studio that is fraught with uncertainty about their own future. Mafia IV may never actually happen, and a number of other projects and ideas have come and gone since releasing Mafia III.
It’s unclear exactly how far along this new BioShock project actually is, so don’t expect 2K to issue any announcements soon. If anything, it seems like they are a lot more keen to keep this one close to the vest until they are fully ready to release the details to the world.
Are you excited for the possibility of a new BioShock game? What do you think they could do with the series to advance the ideas, but maintain that classic BioShock feel?
[Source: Kotaku]
