14 DAY TRIAL // Irrational Games, the developer behind the critically acclaimed BioShock Infinite, will shut down soon, as creator and co-founder Ken Levine has confirmed that he's closing down the studio to create a new, much smaller group focused on making story-driven games.
Irrational Games, for a period known as 2K Boston, amazed millions of gamers worldwide with the BioShock franchise but also with other projects, like the SWAT series.
Now, after seventeen years of activity, Ken Levine has confirmed that the studio will disband.
"While I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together, my passion has turned to making a different kind of game than we’ve done before. To meet the challenge ahead, I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to how we started: a small team making games for the core gaming audience," he told fans in an open letter.
In order to pursue the new goal, he's decided to shut down Irrational and start a brand new studio, much smaller and more focused on making story-driven games.
"I am winding down Irrational Games as you know it. I’ll be starting a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two. That is going to mean parting ways with all but about fifteen members of the Irrational team. There’s no great way to lay people off, and our first concern is to make sure that the people who are leaving have as much support as we can give them during this transition."
"In time we will announce a new endeavor with a new goal: To make narrative-driven games for the core gamer that are highly replayable. To foster the most direct relationship with our fans possible, we will focus exclusively on content delivered digitally."
The new group will still be a part of the 2K family, according to Levine, and he confirmed that the BioShock series will live on with the publisher.