“Where is Judas?” That’s the question fans keep asking BioShock creator Ken Levine—and he still doesn’t have a release date. In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Levine admitted, “While we wish we could give you an exact date today, we’re not quite ready to finalize that.”
Still, he shared fresh insights into the game’s narrative structure. A new “lo-fi” development log revealed that Judas won’t have a traditional villain. Instead, three major NPCs—referred to as the “Big 3”—will offer quests, reveal secrets, and manipulate the player by talking behind each other’s backs. Over time, your choices will shape one of them into the game’s main antagonist, who gains new powers to oppose you.
“In Judas, you’re going to get to know these characters intimately,” Levine wrote. “We want losing one of them to feel like losing a friend.” He emphasized that the dynamic between the Big 3 will be central to the game’s story, with each vying for your trust through bribes, battlefield support, or emotional confessions.
Ghost Story Games also unveiled Judas’ key art, filled with ‘80s-style imagery—floppy disks, cassette tapes, killer robots, and a joystick straight out of an Atari ad. Levine hinted the art isn’t just a throwback but packed with subtle narrative clues. “Everything here is relevant,” he teased.
The game recently held a closed playtest, and Levine noted it may feature over 100 speaking roles when finished. Still, a firm release window remains elusive. While Judas was first teased back in 2015 and had its official reveal at The Game Awards 2022, its full launch is likely still a long way off. Fall 2026 or even spring 2027 seems realistic, given Levine’s comment: “Release dates have a way of slipping by, and we’d like to avoid having to change the date after we announce it.”
With reports of high staff turnover and Levine’s perfectionist tendencies, the road to release looks rocky. Whether Judas can live up to its ambitious promises—or arrive before BioShock 4—remains to be seen.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ