It has already been over a decade since its release BioShock Infinitethe third entry in the iconic first-person action series, so it should come as no surprise that longtime fans are more than eager for some new information about the next title coming to the series, the unofficially named BioShock 4. Despite a tumultuous development, the latest leaks have finally provided fresh crumbs teasing more about the next one BioShock game, with updated insights into a central location and potentially important characters finally giving fans a renewed sense of optimism.
Several reports have shown that BioShock 4 is in development hell, and there has been no official word on how far along the game might be, although several statements from various individuals involved in the project have assured fans that progress is being made. Between major leadership changes, failed internal reviews, and a development cycle that hasn't seen any public updates since the game was first confirmed in 2019, it's understandable that audiences have resorted to minimizing their expectations while keeping their fingers crossed that BioShock 4 at least eventually see the light of day in some capacity. However, there may be hope yet BioShock fansas new alleged leaks seem to indicate some a kind of progress in the development of the game.
Rumored locations and characters in BioShock 4
Online publication MP1st has claimed that internal leaks shared directly with the store reveal a new casino location and two potential key characters in BioShock 4. The casino is said to serve as a “prominent” venue in BioShock 4which was previously rumored to take place somewhere in Antarctica, and the casino could potentially offer a “larger scale” than previous locations in BioShock and could even serve as “the stage for a great stage battle”. Additional information from a separate source shared that a location called “Solaria” or “Solaris” may be a district on the world map of BioShock 4and the “Solarians” can be a group of controlling elites, ordinary citizens, or an enemy faction. MP1st again reiterated the importance of snow in the game's atmosphere, suggesting that the older Antarctica rumors might still hold some truth.
As for the character details, MP1st's sources referenced a “Male Flusher”, with the outlet speculating that “Flushers” could be the new enemies, similar to Rapture's Slicers in BioShock. The same sources indicate the return of an ADAM-like substance, so that it has a splicer equivalent i BioShock 4 seems like a no-brainer. It also appears that a potential antagonist counterpart to Andrew Ryan and Comstock may be on the way in the next one BioShock game, with assets of golden statues bearing highly detailed faces that can only be representative of a central villain. The hero, on the other hand, may also have been revealed, courtesy of a human figure placed against an environmental background for scaling purposes. The choice to use this particular character model may be a clue to the game's protagonist design, although it could also be a random NPC or an early placeholder model.
While these alleged leaks may be very exciting, layoffs at developer Cloud Chamber in August 2025 have reportedly resulted in BioShock 4 will be late again. Currently, analysts expect to see the game release in 2027 at the earliest, and some reports have indicated that a launch could be even later if there are any other major changes behind the scenes. That said, plenty of AAA games that went through troubled development ended up being smash hits, including LA Noire, Downfall (2016), and even the original Resident Evil 4. Only time will tell BioShock 4 manages to get to the audience, and loyal fans are hopeful that the journey back into the world of BioShock will be more than worth it in the end.
