Rod Fergusson, the ‘closer’ who helped finish Infinite, is taking over BioShock 4
The former Diablo boss is taking over 2K’s Cloud Chamber
Rod Fergusson, the veteran triple-A games producer who most recently helmed the Diablo series at Blizzard, is taking over 2K’s new BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Fergusson has been appointed Head of the BioShock franchise and studio head at Cloud Chamber, the company established in 2019, and which recently announced the departure of its leadership.
He wrote on social media: “Would you kindly allow me to share some news? Some of you guessed it, I’m returning to 2K to lead a series that means a lot to me as the new Head of the BioShock Franchise. I’ll be heading up Cloud Chamber and overseeing development of the next BioShock game, along with franchise extensions like the in-development Netflix movie.”
He added: “While I’m excited to get started in the coming weeks, I recognize the studio restructuring is a difficult time for the team. I’m deeply grateful for the work done so far, and I’m committed to building a BioShock game we’ll be proud of and that our players will love. For now, the firehose of onboarding awaits, and I look forward to sharing more when I can.”
According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Cloud Chamber is laying off an unspecified number of staff.
Earlier this month, 2K confirmed that Cloud Chamber studio head Kelley Gilmore had left their role, while creative director Hogarth de la Plante had been moved to a publishing position.
The decision reportedly came after the next BioShock game, which has been in development for several years, failed an internal development review.
The appointment of Fergusson is significant, considering that he was brought in to steady the ship of the last BioShock game, 2013’s BioShock Infinite. Over his career, the former Gears of War producer has built a reputation as a “closer” who helps bring troubled projects to completion.
“We are working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future,” 2K Games said in a statement earlier this month. “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.”
A spokesperson confirmed leadership changes and said it was “fully committed to ensuring we deliver a BioShock game that exceeds the lofty expectations of our fans.”
