Ken Levine reflects on the unexpected closure of Irrational Games following the success of BioShock Infinite, describing the decision as "complicated." In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Levine revealed that the studio's shutdown came as a surprise to most, including himself. He had hoped Irrational would continue, despite his own departure, stating, "I thought they were going to continue. But it wasn’t my company."

Levine, creative director and co-founder of Irrational Games, acknowledges personal struggles during BioShock Infinite's development contributed to his decision to leave. He explains, "I don’t think I was in any state to be a good leader." Despite the closure, he strived to make the transition as smooth as possible for his team, implementing comprehensive severance packages and providing ongoing support.

The closure of Irrational, known for titles like System Shock 2 and BioShock Infinite, occurred in 2014, later rebranding as Ghost Story Games in 2017 under Take-Two Interactive. This event occurred amidst a period of industry-wide layoffs, highlighting the challenges within the video game development landscape.

Looking back, Levine suggests that Irrational could have successfully undertaken a BioShock remake, stating, “That would have been a good title for Irrational to get their head around.”

With BioShock 4 on the horizon, developed by Cloud Chamber Studios, fans anticipate lessons learned from BioShock Infinite's release will be incorporated. Speculation points towards a potential open-world setting for the next installment, while retaining the series' signature first-person perspective. While announced five years ago, an official release date remains unconfirmed.