After BioShock 4 developer Cloud Chamber underwent layoffs, the upcoming game has been delayed from late 2026 to early 2027. With how long console generations typically last, fans may not see the lauded series’ next iteration until the PS6 generation.

What happened with BioShock 4?

In a recent report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Take-Two Interactive laid off roughly a third of Cloud Chamber’s staff. While BioShock’s publisher 2K Games didn’t specify exactly how many jobs were cut, people familiar with the situation state that more than 80 jobs were impacted. As the studio restructures, these people also said the game has been delayed from 2026 to 2027.

Here is what 2K President David Ismailer said to the company’s staff via email:

“While we’re excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game, and in doing so are reducing the size of the development team to focus on this work and give the game more time in development.”

Additionally, internal reviews claimed BioShock 4 was a “good game” but not a great one. One specific issue stated in the report was tied to the game’s narrative.

Part of the restructuring at Cloud Chamber includes bringing in Rod Fergusson, who is now the studio head. Fergusson has worked on many acclaimed titles, like Diablo 4, Gears of War 2, and Gears 5. In this specific case, the most important of which is BioShock Infinite, the last game to be released in the series.

As of right now, as stated above, BioShock 4 is now slated for early 2027. However, as seen with games like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, plans can change, and it could be delayed even further. While the game may launch for PS5, it is entirely possible that we won’t see this game until next generation. Seeing as console generations can last around seven years, and 2027 will make the PS5’s seventh year, its not out of the realm of possibility that a PS6 launches in the next two or three years.