Where Is Judas, the Upcoming First-Person Shooter From BioShock Creator Ken Levine?

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It’s been a long wait for the next game from Ken Levine, the creator of BioShock, called Judas. The final chapter of BioShock Infinite‘s story came out way back in March 2014, and ever since, fans have been eager to see what Levine would do next. Judas was first shown at the 2022 Game Awards, but like many highly anticipated games – think Hollow Knight: Silksong – we still haven’t seen a release date. While there have been small updates here and there, it’s been over three years since the initial reveal, so the big question is: where is Judas?

Honestly, nobody knows when Judas is coming out – not even Ken Levine, or at least he doesn’t have a solid answer yet. It’s a big deal because it’s his first full game since BioShock Infinite, and from what I’ve heard, it’s a really ambitious FPS. That means it’s going to take as long as it takes to get it right. The team at Ghost Story Games has said it’s built around a ‘dynamic narrative,’ where your choices really matter, even the small ones. That probably explains the long development time. It makes the wait understandable, but it doesn’t make it any easier! They’ve shown us little bits and pieces to let us know it’s still alive, but there’s still no official release date in sight.

Judas Exists, But That’s About It

While Ghost Story Games hasn’t abandoned talking about Judas, it’s still too early to say much about its release. We know the game’s basic idea, what platforms it will be on, and we’ve seen trailers and early gameplay. The developers have also shared details about the Villainy system and the complex “dynamic narrative” design – which they call “narrative LEGO” – that took years to develop. However, Judas still doesn’t have a confirmed release date, leaving it in a peculiar position: it’s clearly in development, but currently exists more as a series of announcements and updates than a game with a set launch date.

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Timeline of Judas’ Development

  • 2014 – Irrational Games is wound down, and Ken Levine begins pursuing a smaller, more experimental narrative-game vision.
  • 2017 – Ghost Story Games is formally introduced as Levine’s new Take-Two studio.
  • DECEMBER 2022 – Judas is officially revealed at The Game Awards as a single-player narrative FPS for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
  • FEBRUARY 2023 – Take-Two suggests Judas is planned to release by March 2025.
  • JANUARY 2024 – Judas gets a new story trailer during PlayStation’s State of Play.
  • MARCH 2024 – Select outlets and creators play several hours of Judas at Ghost Story Games.
  • MARCH 2025 – The earlier expected release window passes without launch.
  • AUGUST 2025 – Ghost Story resurfaces with Dev Log #1, revealing the “Villainy” system, where player actions determine which major character becomes the villain.
  • DECEMBER 2025 – Dev Log #2 explains Judas‘ “dynamic narrative” system, which Ghost Story says took years to solve.
  • FEBRUARY 2026 – Take-Two still lists Judas for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but with a TBA release date.

Despite being announced by Take-Two only a few months ago in February, the game Judas is still in development. Ken Levine, the game’s creator, has continued to discuss the project, likely to keep it in the public eye. He recently told IGN that the lengthy development time is due to Ghost Story Games’ ambition to create a story that truly adapts to player choices.

Ghost Story Is Building Judas Around a Highly Reactive Narrative

Levine explained that the delay wasn’t due to the graphics or technology itself. The real challenge was designing the game’s core system – a flexible, modular approach to storytelling. This system builds narratives on the fly, reacting to the player’s choices. While this explains the initial development time, the years that passed after the game was first publicly revealed at the Game Awards might be due to other factors.

It’s likely, though, that this isn’t the case. The silence from the character Judas after key revelations actually fits with the larger goals of the game, Ghost Story. Ken Levine’s design allows the game to react to how and when players do things, and to the feelings of the characters involved. This allows for responses that feel natural and deliberate, not just random. Levine says it took years just to get the basic system working, and actually implementing it is proving even more challenging. This is different from traditional storytelling – it’s not just about writing a good story and placing dialogue along a set path. It’s about creating a story that can adapt and change without losing its coherence.

Actually, Judas remaining quiet after the reveal fits better with the overall story Ghost Story is trying to create.

Okay, so things get really complex with the Villainy system in Judas. Basically, my choices as a player decide which major character ends up being the bad guy. That means the developers at Ghost Story have to build in a ton of different emotional reactions, friendships, enemies, and betrayals. The crazy part is, they need to make every possible storyline feel complete and satisfying, like it’s not a ‘wrong’ path. One character might fight alongside me, another might try to buy me off, and yet another might stab me in the back – and all of that has to make sense based on how I’ve interacted with them before. It needs to feel right, you know?

It all sounds promising, but also incredibly fragile – like a Jenga tower that could topple with the slightest mistake. This complexity will only grow as the game develops, with each new addition impacting everything else. The team will constantly have to evaluate what to keep and what to rebuild, potentially leading to major changes. So, while the delay of Judas is disappointing, it might be a result of the very ambitious design that makes the game so intriguing. Ghost Story Games is aiming to create a first-person shooter where the story isn’t just presented to the player, but actively reshapes itself around them.

For Now, It’s Best to Let Judas Do Its Thing

Currently, Judas remains a mystery, and that’s probably the best way to approach it. The developers at Ghost Story Games have shared enough to suggest it’s a very ambitious game, but ambition alone isn’t enough. Ken Levine has explained that the game’s extended development is due to its unique “narrative LEGO” system—a way of building the story dynamically around player choices. Releasing it before this system is fully functional would undermine the entire project.

The ongoing delays with Judas are understandably annoying, but they also make it difficult to criticize the developers for not rushing the game. If Judas aims to tell a story that truly responds to player choices – something Ken Levine’s past games didn’t fully do – then it needs time to demonstrate that concept works. Until we have a confirmed release date, Judas will remain a game of potential, needing to prove its ambitious ideas. But honestly, things could be much worse – at least the game is still in development.

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2026-05-13 00:35