Cloud Chamber Faces Layoffs as Rod Fergusson Takes Over BioShock 4 Development

Rod Fergusson and BioShock

Cloud Chamber, the developer currently working on BioShock 4, is going through a rough patch as the studio begins laying off an unspecified number of employees. The shake-up comes right as industry veteran Rod Fergusson, best known for his work on Diablo and BioShock Infinite, takes over as the new head of the BioShock franchise.

The news of trouble behind the scenes isn’t exactly a surprise. Earlier this month, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that BioShock 4 had failed an internal review at publisher 2K Games, with much of the criticism aimed at its narrative direction. Soon after, former studio head Kelley Gilmore was removed, and staff were told the team needed to be “more agile and efficient.” Naturally, this raised alarm bells about possible cuts — and now those layoffs have become a reality, though the scale of them hasn’t been disclosed.

Amid all this, 2K is betting on Rod Fergusson to get the project back on track. Fergusson recently stepped away from his role as general manager of the Diablo franchise at Blizzard, but he’s no stranger to handling tricky development cycles. In fact, he famously helped BioShock Infinite cross the finish line after its own turbulent production years ago. His track record suggests that he knows how to steady a project when things get messy, which is exactly what BioShock 4 seems to need right now.

Fergusson confirmed his new role on social media, writing, “I’m returning to 2K to lead a series that means a lot to me as the new Head of the BioShock Franchise. I’ll be heading up Cloud Chamber and overseeing development of the next BioShock game, along with franchise extensions like the in-development Netflix movie.” He also didn’t shy away from acknowledging the challenges, noting that while restructuring is tough, he’s grateful for the work done so far and is committed to building a game “players will love.”

The BioShock series has had quite a journey since its beginnings. After creator Ken Levine left Irrational Games in 2014 to start Ghost Story Games, 2K handed development to its now-defunct Marin studio before eventually founding Cloud Chamber to carry the torch. BioShock 4 was officially confirmed in 2019, but updates since then have been scarce. Reports in 2021 suggested the game would be set in a fictional Antarctic city during the 1960s, making it parallel to the events of the first two games.

Meanwhile, Levine’s new title Judas, is still in development without a release date. But with BioShock 4 facing delays and uncertainty, fans may end up playing Judas long before the next official BioShock sees the light of day.