Irrational Games Shutting Its Doors after Bioshock Infinite DLC

In a week which has already seen one gaming studio shifting its focus away from their top franchise, we now hear about Irrational Games' news.

In a post on their website - which shows no matter where you try to go on the site - Ken Levine says that the studio is shutting down to shift its focus onto smaller replayable games.  So after seventeen years, which has seen System Shock 2, Freedom Force and the Bioshock series amongst others, Ken Levine and fifteen others will be releasing games for other studios.

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.

The studio is staying around until just after Bioshock Infinite DLC Burial At Sea Part Two is released, to allow those being laid-off to use the facilities to create their portfolios.  They are being approached by other Take Two studios to give them somewhere to go.

So what does this mean for a Bioshock sequel?

I’m handing the reins of our creation, the BioShock universe, to 2K

So Bioshock Infinite isn't necessarily the final chapter. There are developers who would have taken the franchise with them, especially one held in such high regard. 

But for Ken Levine and the lucky fifteen in their new endeavour?

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.

We wish them luck.