Judas is Old-School in All the Best Ways

Ken Levine, best known as the creative force behind BioShock, is finally back with a new game after more than a decade. It’s called Judas, and it’s shaping up to be everything fans of narrative-driven shooters have been waiting for: a full single-player game, no live service features, and no online requirements. In Levine’s own words, Judas is “very old-school,” and it’s built to give players one complete experience from day one.

During a recent interview, Levine talked openly about the philosophy behind Judas. He said he grew up playing single-player games long before battle passes and cosmetic stores became industry staples. That’s the mindset he’s sticking to now. The focus is on delivering a self-contained adventure, where every mechanic and system serves the story first.

"You buy the game and you get the whole thing. There's no online component. There's no live service, because everything we do is in service of telling the story and transporting the player somewhere."

This isn’t just a preference — it’s a choice that shaped the entire development. Judas is being made at Ghost Story Games, a studio Levine co-founded after Irrational Games was shut down. The team has had the time and support to stick to their vision. Levine noted that their publisher believes in them enough not to interfere or push for monetization hooks. That’s rare in 2025.

So what exactly is Judas? At a glance, it looks like a spiritual successor to BioShock. The trailers show a first-person shooter with a mix of traditional weapons and strange powers — including fire, electricity, and psychic abilities. The world is surreal and dystopian, clearly rooted in the kind of immersive sci-fi settings Levine is known for. In one scene, the player is seen shooting a machine outside a cinema, hinting at chaotic public spaces and twisted worldbuilding.

But Judas isn’t BioShock 4. It’s a new universe with new rules, characters, and systems. According to official descriptions, Judas is set aboard a collapsing starship where the player must decide whether to repair or dismantle fractured relationships with their former allies. Choice and consequence are central, not just in dialogue, but in gameplay. Think of it as a spacebound psychological thriller with heavy moral themes, combining shooter mechanics with narrative branching.

The game’s title refers to betrayal, and that’s not accidental. “Judas” — the name — implies a deep, story-driven core where loyalty, manipulation, and survival are central themes. The player is Judas, someone who has broken a system or a relationship so badly, they now have to decide what to do with the pieces. From leaked concept notes and insider reports, it appears that much of the game revolves around aligning (or turning against) key factions aboard the ship. These aren't just background groups — they're tightly written characters with whom players will form complex, high-stakes connections.

Ghost Story Games has been working on Judas since at least 2017, though the project was in early stages back then. It’s gone through several iterations, which Levine has previously admitted. The studio uses something called “narrative LEGO,” a development system designed to create dynamic story modules that respond to player decisions. If that system lives up to its promises, Judas could be one of the most reactive narrative shooters ever made.

Still, even after its official reveal at The Game Awards in 2022 and a follow-up trailer in early 2025, we don’t have a release date. It was expected to arrive by April 2025, but that window passed with no launch. The team hasn’t provided a new timeline, which could mean they’re taking their time to avoid crunch or release pressure — something Levine’s previous studio, Irrational, struggled with during BioShock Infinite.

From what we’ve seen, Judas isn’t trying to compete with today’s biggest multiplayer games. It’s not built for seasons or ongoing updates. It’s built for players who want to sit down, press start, and get lost in a world. No internet check-ins. No in-game currencies. Just story, gameplay, and decisions that matter.

For many, that’s a breath of fresh air. For others, it might sound like a relic of the past. But for Levine, it’s simply the kind of game he still believes in.

And with a decade of silence behind him, the industry is ready to hear what he has to say next.