Ken Levine, director of BioShock Infinite, reflects on the unexpected closure of Irrational Games following the game's success. He describes the decision by Take-Two Interactive as "complicated," revealing that the studio's shuttering came as a surprise to most, including himself. While Levine intended to leave Irrational after BioShock Infinite's development – a period he admits was personally challenging – he anticipated the studio's continued operation. "I thought they were going to continue. But it wasn’t my company," he stated in a recent interview with Edge Magazine.
Levine, Irrational's co-founder and creative director, spearheaded the creation of the acclaimed BioShock franchise. The studio's closure in 2014, after the release of BioShock Infinite, followed by its rebranding as Ghost Story Games in 2017, stands in contrast to Levine's hopes for a smooth transition. He aimed to minimize the impact on employees, implementing comprehensive transition packages and providing ongoing support. He even suggests that a BioShock remake would have been a suitable project for the continued studio.
The news of Irrational's demise comes amidst a backdrop of industry-wide layoffs and restructuring, highlighting the instability within the video game development landscape.
Anticipation for BioShock 4 remains high. While an official release date is pending, speculation abounds, with many fans hoping Cloud Chamber Studios will learn from the experiences of BioShock Infinite's development and release. An open-world setting is a popular fan theory, although a first-person perspective is widely expected to remain.