We haven’t gotten a new BioShock game in nearly a decade, but Judas aims to be the next best thing. This new project — led by BioShock creator, Ken Levine — was finally shown off at The Game Awards 2022 after years of secrecy. This single-player first-person shooter wears its inspirations on its sleeve, with a stylized art direction, intriguing story, and emphasis on narrative. While there’s still a lot we don’t know about Judas, its official reveal gave us plenty of details about what to expect from it.
Judas Release Window
Currently, Judas doesn’t have a firm release date or window. However, it’s been in the works since at least 2017, when Levine founded Ghost Story Games.
In early 2022, Levine said, “We didn't want to go down the path of showing [the game] too early, because we thought it was going to be out sooner.”
While this implies the game is nearing completion, a recent statement from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says otherwise. In a statement to IGN, Zelnick says Judas is planned to launch by March 2025, indicating we still have a long way to go before release. “By” 2025 could still mean it’ll launch sooner, but given the game’s tumultuous development cycle, we wouldn’t recommend holding your breath for that.
Judas Trailer
The debut trailer was shown at The Game Awards 2022, and although it’s only around a minute and a half long, it gives us a great sense of Judas’ overall vibe.
Judas Developer
Judas is in development at Ghost Story Games, a studio founded by Ken Levine. This team was created by ex-Irrational developers, who worked on BioShock and BioShock Infinite. Levine hasn’t shipped a game since 2013’s BioShock Infinite, so when Judas launches, it will have been a decade since his last project.
Judas Platforms
Judas is expected to launch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It’s unclear if a Nintendo Switch version is planned at this stage, but given its release window, it’s unlikely.
What Else Do We Know About Judas?
Little else is known about Judas, but a description in the game’s trailer on YouTube gives us a few more details:
A disintegrating starship. A desperate escape plan. You are the mysterious and troubled Judas. Your only hope for survival is to make or break alliances with your worst enemies. Will you work together to fix what you broke – or will you leave it to burn?
Within the trailer, it appears like the protagonist has a troubled past, that might come back to haunt them, so it’s likely we’ll get a roller coaster of a story, just like BioShock.
Speaking of which, the trailer also shows off gameplay, and it appears like the protagonist uses powers similar to plasmids, which give players special abilities. It’s unclear how this will work, exactly, but it unsurprisingly looks a lot like BioShock, both mechanically and stylistically.
Judas is currently in development.
