Rod Fergusson, known for his recent departure from Blizzard after five years, is moving to 2K to lead the BioShock franchise. He will head up Cloud Chamber and supervise development of the next BioShock game, along with other franchise extensions like the in-development Netflix movie.
In a social media post, Fergusson shared his excitement about starting soon but acknowledged the challenges the team faces during the studio restructuring. He expressed gratitude for the work done so far and a commitment to building a BioShock game that both the team and players will appreciate. He mentioned, “For now, the firehose of onboarding awaits, and I look forward to sharing more when I can.”
The timing of Fergusson’s arrival follows reports that the next BioShock game was stuck in development trouble after failing an executive review. 2K reportedly began overhauling parts of the game and changing management after senior executives were unhappy with how things were progressing. Fergusson’s appointment is part of that shake-up.
A 2K spokesperson told Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that they are “working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future. Right now, we have a good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one. We are working closely with leadership at the studio to define this path.”
Alongside the new game, a remake of the original BioShock was recently shelved amid these changes, signaling a shift in 2K’s focus for the franchise.
Fergusson was most recently the general manager of Diablo 4, so it’s interesting to see him switch gears to a different iconic series. Will his leadership bring the stability and vision BioShock needs? That stays to be seen, but it’s clear 2K wants to get this right.
