Rod Fergusson, who recently announced his departure from Blizzard Entertainment after five years, has joined Cloud Chamber, 2K’s development subsidiary, as the new Head of Franchise for BioShock.
“Are you ready for some news?”, Fergusson stated. “Some of you might have guessed: I’m returning to 2K to lead a series that means a lot to me as the new Head of Franchise for BioShock. I’ll be leading Cloud Chamber and overseeing the development of the next BioShock game, alongside franchise expansions like the Netflix film in development.”
Fergusson also confirmed Cloud Chamber is undergoing “restructuring,” following a report from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier that the studio is laying off an unspecified number of employees.
“While I’m excited to start in the coming weeks, I acknowledge that studio restructuring is a difficult time for the team,” Fergusson said. “I’m deeply grateful for the work done so far and committed to building a BioShock game we’re proud of and that our players love. For now, the hard work of integration awaits us, and I look forward to sharing more when possible.”
2K announced the formation of Cloud Chamber and a new BioShock game in December 2019. In early August, Bloomberg reported that Cloud Chamber’s leadership was changing after a failed publisher evaluation, and that an unannounced BioShock remake was canceled earlier this year.
Fergusson’s return to BioShock is notable, as he was hired by 2K in August 2012 to salvage production of the troubled BioShock Infinite. In a 2014 Polygon report, many staffers reportedly believed the game wouldn’t have shipped without him.
