2K has announced an interesting job opening today for the position of the Lead Campaign Designer for a new action title. As the job description reads, this unannounced 2K game is a first-person-shooter, story-driven, fantasy title is currently on the “ground floor” of the project. 2K doesn’t have many FPS titles in its past, with the biggest of them being Bioshock and Darkness, and with Darkness’ story being concluded with its sequel then it’s not crazy to say that Bioshock 4 may be coming.
If you are a story-driven video game enthusiast then the Bioshock franchise is one of your all-time classics. Set in a fantasy world with love for its story/narrative and a cool FPS battle system, Bioshock is a perfect fit for the job’s description. 2K’s Borderlands is out of play since Gearbox is already making its own job openings for an FPS title, presumably for Borderlands 3.
The company is looking for someone who can be creative and can work closely with the scripters and narrative designers. That indicates a major focus on the story section of the game which can pretty much be pointed to Bioshock 4. 2K explains more about who they think would be a great fit:
You love sitting at the nexus of story and design. You have a passion for games that create a symbiosis between the two, and you’re motivated by the idea of creating resonant, emotional experiences through gameplay. You understand great pacing from the big picture of a story-driven campaign down to moment-to-moment player motivations. You value big action spectacle just as much as quieter, more intimate moments. And you see the player as a partner, or co-author, not a pawn.
If you take a look at the job requirements you’ll find that 2K is looking at creating a major AAA title not just a play-once action title. The company is also looking for a “Lead Technical Artist” to create a “breathtaking story- and system-based experience” and a new “Lead AI Engineer” to take care of connecting AI and storytelling.
Keep in mind that this may be a completely new title we are talking about. The company hasn’t announced a new major action franchise these past years, so maybe now it’s the time to do so. We are all voting for Bioshock 4 for sure though. Either way, it will be a long time until we know for sure.
