Could the BioShock franchise be rising from the watery depths? Fans were more than a little shocked when BioShock creator Ken Levine announced the shutdown of Irrational Games in 2014, seemingly bringing the acclaimed series to an end. Of course, money talks, and the BioShock games have sold over 25 million copies, so it seems the series may be coming back.

　　According to Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, whose insider reports are usually right on the money, another BioShock is in the works at a new “top-secret” 2K studio located in the San Francisco Bay area. Presumably that means Ken Levine won’t be involved in the project, as he’s currently working on an original project at his new 2K-backed studio Ghost Story Games.

　　The revelation that a new BioShock is happening is buried within a larger story about the struggles of Mafia III developers Hangar 13. According the Kotaku’s report, the studio and individual devs were hit hard when they lost out on bonuses, which were contingent on Mafia III getting either an 80 or 85 on Metacritic (it ended up with a score in the 60s).

　　Since then, the studio has “floundered” as it tries to figure out what its next project should be, with ideas like a fourth Mafia set in Las Vegas during the 70s, a spy game set in Berlin in the 80s, and a music-fueled action game ultimately being abandoned. Due to the uncertainty, many Hangar 13 employees have left, been laid off, or moved over to the new BioShock studio, which happens to be located right next door to Hangar 13. I definitely recommend checking out Kotaku's full report as it’s full of interesting behind-the-scenes details.

　　But, back to BioShock – what would you like out of a potential new entry? Would you like a more classic experience similar to the first game in the series, or something more out of left field?