What's Happening with Judas — the New Game from BioShock's Creator?

It has been 11 years since Irrational Games, the studio responsible for developing the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite, shut down. From its ashes, a small team called Ghost Story Games was born — a group of just 15 people led by legendary game designer Ken Levine. Despite this lengthy period, Levine and Ghost Story Games have yet to release a single project. Only one game has been announced: Judas. Let’s discuss what it’s about and why development is taking so long.

Ken Levine’s previous studio made a name for itself during the era of System Shock 2, but it reached legendary status with the release of BioShock. The game was such a massive success that Irrational Games gained a reputation as one of the best narrative-driven shooter developers. Publisher Take-Two Interactive believed in the studio and allocated significant resources for BioShock Infinite.

Despite Infinite’s critical and commercial success, developing such an ambitious game proved to be an ordeal. Former employees shared that large chunks of the game had to be reworked constantly, with a substantial amount of content being scrapped. The main reason? Ken Levine’s creative approach to development. He sees it as sculpting — starting with large blocks and then chiseling away unnecessary parts.

By the time Infinite was released, the team was exhausted. Neither Irrational Games nor Take-Two had confidence that the company could continue making games this way. Even Levine himself acknowledged the issues.

In 2014, Ken Levine announced the closure of Irrational Games. Most employees were laid off, leaving only a small core team to form Ghost Story Games. Given BioShock Infinite’s achievements, the announcement shocked gamers and critics alike. Levine explained that with a more compact studio, he could better execute his ideas while avoiding the stress of AAA development.

Judas was first revealed three years ago. It’s a first-person shooter with immersive sim elements set aboard the massive spaceship Mayflower. The vessel left a dying Earth to embark on a long journey to Proxima Centauri. The colonists' mission is to find a new home for humanity.

The game’s protagonist is a hacker named Judas. She is not well-liked aboard the Mayflower, as her actions have plunged the colony into chaos. Judas exposed a classified secret: the mission’s leaders — security chief Tom, brilliant inventor Nefertiti, and doctor Hope — are actually robots. This revelation triggered unrest, which escalated into a civil conflict.

By the start of the game, the Mayflower is drifting among dangerous asteroids due to severe damage. Judas must align with one of the leaders to repair the ship.

The defining feature of Judas is its non-linear storytelling, which Ken Levine calls "narrative LEGO." Ghost Story Games has poured immense effort into developing an innovative system that tracks every player action, dynamically altering the story accordingly.

For instance, if you complete too many tasks for Tom, Nefertiti may start sabotaging Judas, like locking doors at a critical moment. Ignoring Hope’s requests might lead to her triggering alarms during a stealth mission, attracting enemies. This means players must carefully balance their relationships with the three leaders.

Additionally, like in roguelikes, death plays a key role in Judas. If Judas dies, she revives with new upgrades, and the Mayflower’s structure changes randomly.

In many other ways, Judas will feel like home for BioShock fans, especially those who love the first game. The similarities are hard to ignore. For example, the protagonist wields a weapon in one hand and an unusual ability in the other, such as telekinesis or an electric shock — a familiar sight, right? The game also features hacking security systems, complex level designs with multiple ways to enter rooms, and, of course, deranged enemies.

The game has been in development for over ten years. In interviews, Ken Levine has mentioned that the main challenge is the "narrative LEGO" system. Ghost Story Games has spent years refining this innovative storytelling method, which reacts to even the smallest player decisions. The team aims to ensure that all gameplay systems interlock seamlessly, like a well-built LEGO set.

It’s reasonable to assume that Levine’s "sculpting" approach has contributed to the prolonged development, as it did with Infinite. Perhaps even more so, considering the team is now much smaller. In fact, according to journalist Jason Schreier, nearly all of Ghost Story Games' original members have left the studio.

Given Levine's penchant for reworking large chunks of his games repeatedly, it’s difficult to predict when Judas will finally be released. Two years ago, Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick assured players that the game would launch by March 2025. However, with just eight days left until spring and no updates about the game, it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing it on store shelves anytime soon. In fact, there’s no guarantee it will even launch in 2025, as Take-Two has scheduled GTA 6 for release in the latter half of the year.

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Yes, the prolonged development is concerning, but it’s hard to deny that Judas looks intriguing. The idea of a spiritual successor to BioShock is exciting, not to mention Levine’s ambition to take the immersive sim genre to a new level. Let’s hope he succeeds — and that we won’t have to wait half a lifetime.

What do you think about Judas? Do you enjoy the BioShock series? Share your thoughts in the comments.