Ken Levine, creator of BioShock, has provided an update on his studio's upcoming game Judas, stating it is now in a 'good place' after extensive research and development. The project, revealed in 2022, faced a long development period following the closure of his previous studio. Levine highlighted innovative features in character responses that justify the time invested.
Ken Levine built his reputation with influential titles like System Shock 2 in 1999 and BioShock Infinite in 2013. Since then, 13 years have passed without a new release from the designer. In 2014, he closed Irrational Games, his studio behind the BioShock series, and relaunched it as Ghost Story Games in 2017.
Judas, the studio's debut project under the new name, was unveiled at The Game Awards in 2022. Updates have been sparse, limited to one additional trailer and a few interviews. Originally targeting a March 2025 release, the game underwent five years of research and development focused on innovative gameplay mechanics.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, Levine explained the rationale behind the extended R&D phase. "What sets it apart from other games is the way we’re building it (and the reason we spent five years in just R&D)," he said. He emphasized that characters in Judas will respond not only to major player choices but also to the sequence of actions, including the smallest details.
Levine indicated that the project has reached a stable point, suggesting more information could emerge soon. This update comes amid anticipation for what the BioShock creator will deliver next after a decade-long hiatus from major releases.