BioShock Narrative Lead Joins CD Projekt Following Recent Layoffs and Development 'Rework'

Liz Albl, the caller BioShock game's communicative lead, has present joined Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher workplace CD Projekt Red.

The determination follows 2K's caller determination to "rework" improvement of its long-gestating BioShock 4 project, which has been successful improvement present since astatine slightest 2018.

Albl joined Cloud Chamber, 2K's secretive workplace tasked with gathering a caller BioShock chapter, backmost successful 2022. Now, an update connected LinkedIn makes wide that the erstwhile communicative brag departed the institution backmost successful August — astatine the clip 2K indicated it was unhappy with advancement and announced layoffs.

"Work connected the adjacent BioShock crippled has been underway for respective years," noted an email to Cloud Chamber unit sent astatine the clip by 2K president David Ismailer, and obtained by IGN. "While we’re excited astir the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve made the determination with workplace enactment to rework definite aspects that are halfway to a BioShock game, and successful doing truthful are reducing the size of the improvement squad to absorption connected this enactment and springiness the crippled much clip successful development."

A Bloomberg study confirmed that Cloud Chamber Games workplace caput Kelley Gilmore had been removed, amid different layoffs, portion originative manager Hogarth de la Plante had been shuffled into a publishing role.

The timing of Albl's departure from the workplace successful August besides makes sense, then, and it was reported astatine the clip that 2K Games had been peculiarly captious of issues with the game's narrative. BioShock 4's communicative is present expected to beryllium overhauled, and improvement volition beryllium overseen by erstwhile Gears of War caput and Diablo franchise pb Rod Fergusson, who 2K has installed arsenic the caller wide brag of some Cloud Chamber and the BioShock franchise.

Prior to Cloud Chamber, Albl had served 2 years astatine Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor workplace Monolith Productions moving connected Warner Bros.' now-cancelled Wonder Woman game. Prior to that, Albl had worked for respective years astatine PlayStation's Sucker Punch workplace penning Ghost of Tsushima, and astatine Ubisoft moving connected the Far Cry and Watch Dogs franchises.

Little is known astir the adjacent BioShock game, though sporadic hints from occupation descriptions and different imaginable leaks person suggested it volition beryllium acceptable successful a marque caller location, and diagnostic unfastened satellite elements. When IGN past asked Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick astir the game's progress, helium reassured that BioShock 4 was "going to travel out" for certain, but could not accidental when.

As for BioShock's archetypal creator Ken Levine, there's small caller connection connected his ain long-awaited adjacent task — the BioShock-esque Judas. Despite antecedently being expected by March 2025, we've not had a caller update present successful a small while.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social