BioShock 2 announced

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 March, 2008

Due out late 2009.

Take Two has announced that BioShock 2 will be released in fiscal Q4 2009. The publisher's financial year is two months ahead of the calendar year, so that means we'll see the game somewhere in the August-October 2009 period.

Interestingly, Take Two hasn't set Ken Levine's 2K Boston (formerly Irrational Games) to work on this one, preferring recently-formed studio 2K Marin, based in Novato, California, for what's inevitably going to be among the most highly anticipated sequels of 2009.

(Update: However, the company said during a subsequent conference call that Levine would be involved in the game's production: "He will be working on Bioshock 2 and he will be working on a new IP.")

When Take Two announced 2K Marin's formation in December, the company said the studio would "build upon [2K's] success in creating and leveraging AAA franchises". Go team leverage! BioShock has now sold over 2 million units worldwide, Take Two pointed out today.

Platforms and other details were not mentioned (the first one was PC and 360, if you've already forgotten), and nor were details of what the "new IP" Levine/2K Boston are working on is. We'll let you know when we do.

It will certainly be interesting to see how 2K Marin approaches a BioShock follow-up. Events in the first game would suggest it's unlikely we'll see a return to Rapture unless we're in prequel territory. What do you reckon?

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Benno #1 4 years ago

    Looking forward to it

  • monkeymagic #2 4 years ago

    No 2K Boston? Pah. Well at least it means Levine and coe can start working on some new IP.

  • JediMasterMalik #3 4 years ago

    That's exactly what Bioshock needed! A sequel!

  • sharpfish #4 4 years ago

    Are they going to include gameplay this time?

  • doragor #5 4 years ago

    BioShock is the game I've enjoyed most in years. I can't see a sequel coming close to matching it but here's hoping anyway.

  • TriggerHippie #6 4 years ago

    "That's exactly what Bioshock needed! A sequel!"

    So true. After all look what they did with System Shock 2.

    Hang on...

  • Syrette #7 4 years ago

    Nice way to spoil the story for some people, Tom.

  • WillyWanka #8 4 years ago

    "dissing" Bioshock is the new black

  • JediMasterMalik #9 4 years ago

    I just don't think the game lends itself to a sequel is all. A prequel could be good though.

  • dsmx #10 4 years ago

    Perhaps this time they can get the combat right, once you realise that all you need is electric shock followed by flame it gets kind of repetitive as there is nothing as effective.

  • Psyclapse #11 4 years ago

    I loved BioShock but I can't think of anything I want in a sequel. They'd have to do something totally different.

  • Peew971 #12 4 years ago

    If it's not a prequel, don't bother.

  • BarrettBonden #13 4 years ago

    Does this mean Levine won't be involved at all? That'd be like not letting Peter Jackson direct the Hobbit.

    Oh wait...

  • Azazel #14 4 years ago

    'leveraging'

    ARGH! /blows brains out

  • ZuluHero #15 4 years ago

    lol :)

    I can't see how a sequel or a prequel would really work.. i mean the game pretty much covered all the events leading to the game and also pretty much wrapped everything up in a nice neat bundle.

    I'd personally like to see a new setting and story...
    Edited by 1 at 11/03/08 @ 23:36

  • john_silence #16 4 years ago

    Yay! *cork pops*
    @BarrettBonden: Levine is apparently involved in the development of Bioshock 2. That's what Gamespot reports, anyway.

  • timberwolf #17 4 years ago

    well... considering EA bought it....

    don't expect any fixes, we've been playing the same fifa for about 30 years... not to mention madden, pga, nba, blah blah...

    considering storyline; prequels never, ever work. they simply retred old ground. this I find true in all cases, even clever prequels that tie in well... plus can't there just be some other guy goes down into rapture years in future to collect adam because led by big corporation turns out to be setup by ryan or fontaine from first game... something he set up incase rapture was destroyed shock, horror blah blah another of ryans kids blah blah actually it aint the future you are a robot and the sky is made of chikens you literaly can take the story anywhere as bioshock's storyline was actually incredibly vague hence people wanting a prequel.

    also late 2009 by then i won't care a jot as many better games will copy bioshock and do it better as has happened with gta..

    yeah good first post this hehe... ;D
    Edited by 3 at 11/03/08 @ 23:53

  • NthSimulachum #18 4 years ago

    Sequels are always better!

    Er..except Deus Ex 2.

    I don't really understand what they can do with a sequel. The story was nicely wrapped up, and the combat/research system will be hard to improve upon.

  • wellzy4eva #19 4 years ago

    I'm just glad that they aren't rushing for a sequel to cash in on the Francise as quickly as possible..

    Hang on a minute Q4 2009, that sounds so far away and it isn't, damn you!!!

  • Svecke #20 4 years ago

    I'm looking forward to exploring a huge, steampowered space station. :D

  • RorSchach #21 4 years ago

    I guess this was inevitable ... I hope its good, and tries to go in new directions at least! I thought the original tied up the loose ends quite well.

  • Melan #22 4 years ago

    well hope that i have a computer that can play BS1 at that time

  • space_ace #23 4 years ago

    reckon i must finish it but the disc gave up the ghost halfway through the game... *sigh*

  • symmetry #24 4 years ago

    Maybe it's another reinvention :)

  • Xerx3s #25 4 years ago

    "So true. After all look what they did with System Shock 2.

    Hang on..."

    What's your point? SS2 is one of the best games ever made.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #26 4 years ago

    I really am a total moron. If Q1 ends on Jan 31st, Tom, it probably doesn't "match the calendar year", does it? I've updated the story. Sorry for being broken in the head.

  • systems #27 4 years ago

    @Xerx3s - his point is that Bioshock is a stripped-down poor-man's System Shock 2 with extra combat to appeal to the run & gunners.

    I agree that SS2 was a fantastic game. I've been through it a few times, but once through BS is enough.

  • zimzu #28 4 years ago

    sharpfish FTW! T2 need to include some freaking gameplay in bioshock 2. maybe even make difficulty levels correlate properly. especially take away that permanent god mode known as the vita chamber...

  • J.C #29 4 years ago

    Lot of bioshock dislike here :/

  • zuljin #30 4 years ago

    @dsmx
    "Perhaps this time they can get the combat right, once you realise that all you need is electric shock followed by flame it gets kind of repetitive as there is nothing as effective."

    Wrong way round... Flame enemies, wait for them all to jump in the nearest water, then shock the lot of them! :)

    As to the news - I managed to avoid any spoiler/teaser, bought out of the blue, and loved it! I guess its got a lot to live up to, but it'll be a launch day buy for me!

  • nickthegun #31 4 years ago

    I reckon that if its a prequel, im not buying it.

    If theres one thing I hate, its a prequel......

  • hybridial #32 4 years ago

    How about they try and make something good out of that morality thing they promised? Because the first one turned out a little above fucking lame in that department.

  • bad09 #33 4 years ago

    What the hell is the point of announcing it now, we are in march 2008!!!! Tell me about this next year......

  • Yaster #34 4 years ago

    PS3 version please

  • jglover4 #35 4 years ago

    Xerx3s - he followed the sarcasm with sarcasm.

  • Lebowski #36 4 years ago

    Yeesssssssssssssssssssssss!

    One of the greatest story-led games of all time, a game that proves that games can be an art form, is getting its sequel.

    "I can see fanboys, Mr Bubbles." :-D Sod it, I love this game.

  • mattigan #37 4 years ago

    They should have ended the first one at the big reveal IMHO, then they could really have made a proper sequel including unexplored areas of rapture, and done a proper ending etc etc...

  • Les #38 4 years ago

    " What the hell is the point of announcing it now, we are in march 2008!!!! Tell me about this next year......"

    2 years of pre-release hype seemed to work wonderfully well for the first game... ;)

  • bad09 #39 4 years ago

    @ Les

    Yeah it seem the norm now. I seem to spend more time waiting for games than playing them!

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #40 4 years ago

    They could do BioShock... IN SPACE! No one's done that before.

    Oh wait...

  • Dop #41 4 years ago

    The sequel I'd like to see would be more a prequel, set in Rapture before the unmentionable hit the fan, and be more a free-roaming game, kind of 'World Of RaptureCraft' or 'Grand Theft Bathysphere', where we have the whole city of Rapture to walk around, with some external areas available.
    I hope it's not going to be some retread, like 'Rapture on the Moon' or some such.

  • Nithron #42 4 years ago

    People, people. Imagine a whole world with all the steampunk technology of Rapture. Or as someone else already mentioned, a space station. Or both!

    See, there's plenty of opportunity for a sequel. Also one of the endings left the game wide open for a sequel.

  • symbiote #43 4 years ago

    ""dissing" Bioshock is the new black"

    No, dissing Bioshock is legit if RPG game elements leave you cold and then all you're left with is sub-par shooting mechanics.

  • thewolfiv #44 4 years ago

    they could always do a "set in the future" version where they find the abandoned Rapture and adam and take it back with them to the main land but that would ruin the art deco style that we all love- i think they got there work cut out for them...

  • zuljin #45 4 years ago

    I'll just add one more thing, if they do go down the prequel route, and we get to wander around Rapture before it all goes wrong, please let us go out for walks in the ocean in diving suits!

  • Maximilian #46 4 years ago

    I read elsewhere that the new developers are a studio formed mainly of ex-bioshock people. The rumour is they hate Ken Levine and never want to work with him again. Why I don't know.

    Far more excited by the rumour that Levine is working on a new X-Com game.

  • Bulbatron #47 4 years ago

    I loved BioShock, but I've got slightly mixed feelings about a BioShock 2.

    I quite like the idea of making it a prequel, in which as the game progresses, you might have to choose whose side to take out of Ryan or Fontaine - doing missions for both of them until you've decided.

    I think it should be somewhat like Oblivion, in that it is completely free-roaming, with a central story and lots of side-stories. It should still be in first person - but with much greater enphasis on exploration, character-building and story over combat - though combat should still be important - especially later on.

    It would be good if it started just before everything went really wrong, so that we get to see Rapture in full, intact glory.

    A bit of swimming might be good as well, whether it be outside or in flooded areas - after the civil war kicks off in earnest.

  • DjFlex52 #48 4 years ago

    No, dissing Bioshock is legit if RPG game elements leave you cold and then all you're left with is sub-par shooting mechanics.
    ignore poster

    @symbiote

    Ugh, same old PS3 fanboy bs....hey symbiote, why don't you become an ostrich for...a....YEAR!!!

  • Les #49 4 years ago

    "The rumour is they hate Ken Levine and never want to work with him again. Why I don't know."

    Well, he does have a very annoying voice... ;)

  • DFawkes #50 4 years ago

    I did have a 360, but now I'm a Sony fanboy again, but I still count Bioshock as one of the best games ever made. There isn't anything sub-par about it, but it's hard to see where they'll go with it. I'd love for the beginning to be you, pulling up to the lighthouse in a grand looking ship, going down in the bathysphere with a group of other people, perhaps recognisable. You're character (whop wouldn't be named) could start small talk with the man across from you, an artist calling himself Sander Cohen, and chat about the opportunities in Rapture.
    You could be walking around a busy station, bustling with activity, alive with goings on. Then it all goes wonky. A twist could be your character, whether it's Fontaine, or one of his heavies. Just an idea.

    I'm hoping for a PS3 release, but if not I'll just be spending a lot of time at my 360 owning mates house :)

  • doragor #51 4 years ago

    @ symbiote ' if RPG game elements leave you cold and then all you're left with is sub-par shooting mechanics'

    yes, that's all you're left with.
    *snort*

  • kingmong #52 4 years ago

    zomg, wtf is an ip?

  • evild_edd #53 4 years ago

    Yay - striking, original title that had a complete and rewarding story (even if the ending was a little brief). I've got an idea - let's make an unnecessary sequel!!!

    HAving said that, if it ends up getting great reviews and a different scenario/plot, I may swallow my pride (and my words) and buy it anyway. Curse my duplicitous nature!!!

  • GamesConnoisseur #54 4 years ago

    BioShock 2 when released will certainly reaps its reward from the first iteration, the worse of us hopes that it ll bomb and the better half of us hope its will delights us further, with new mysteries and taking the well deserved new IP further.

    Of course that is a contradiction in itself, new orginial IP is looked for but at same time we do want to continue our journey further that was not exactly fully realised the first time around, so they better make it a damn good one!