What Is Going on With the Game Judas?

by

The BioShock series is legendary in gaming, particularly for its immersive storytelling. Created by Ken Levine, BioShock and BioShock Infinite became instant classics thanks to their unique worlds – thought-provoking, unsettling, darkly funny, and deeply human. These games went beyond simple shooting, offering atmospheric experiences that explored complex ideas about society, power, and what it means to be human. After the release of Infinite and its expansion, many expected Levine to continue leading the series. However, he instead chose to downsize his studio, Irrational Games, transforming it into a smaller team focused on experimental projects.

Ken Levine started a new game studio, Ghost Story Games, under Take-Two and initially announced Judas before becoming very quiet about the project. This lack of communication is a big reason why Judas is so intriguing. The game, first shown in 2022, represents Levine’s return to creating large, immersive stories. However, Ghost Story Games hasn’t shared much information since then, leaving fans wondering about the release date, the game’s plot, and whether it will be as good as his previous acclaimed work.

Everything We Know About Judas

The story of Judas begins with a compelling premise: Earth is failing, and the last of humanity is fleeing on a colony ship. To get people to join the voyage, the ship’s leaders promised they could recreate passengers’ bodies, ensuring their survival. However, this was a false promise. There wasn’t enough of the rare material needed for full replication – only enough to recreate one person, named Judas. The protagonist then reveals a shocking truth: everyone on board, including the leaders, are actually robots programmed with the memories and personalities of the original passengers. This revelation throws the ship into turmoil and threatens its destruction.

The core of Judas‘s gameplay revolves around story and player choice. You’ll be rebuilding and breaking relationships as you try to convince one of three powerful figures – who are now at odds – to help you escape the Mayflower spaceship from a dangerous asteroid field, ultimately destroying it. The game’s main message, “Fix what you broke,” suggests that your decisions will significantly shape the story and lead to different outcomes.

This game clearly builds on the themes of Levine’s previous work, particularly the BioShock series. Players will encounter complex ideas about religion and politics that directly influence their gameplay and interactions. They’ll need to consider how the key figures aboard the Mayflower are changing, and how their personalities evolve. Ghost Story Games has created a detailed system where characters react to everything Judas does, no matter how minor the action.

Okay, so I’m totally hooked on this story, and I’m trying to figure out whose side I’m on! There’s Tom, who wants to keep people… well, people – flesh and blood, you know? Then there’s his wife, Nerfititi, who thinks we should embrace becoming robots. And it gets even weirder – Hope just wants to erase herself! Honestly, picking who to support and who to oppose feels like it’s going to really change how the story goes, and I’m stressing over it!

Levine is known for taking on big projects, and he’s succeeded with them before. However, his ambitious ideas can sometimes cause development to take longer and become more expensive – this might be why we haven’t heard much about Judas for a while. While the studio shared a development update on December 2nd, 2025, it focused more on the creative side of things than on actual progress or a release date. Fans are hoping to finally see Judas revealed at The Game Awards, making that event even more exciting to watch.

The game follows Judas, a skilled hacker and engineer traveling on the Mayflower, a multi-generational spaceship heading to a new planet. She’s not popular with the ship’s inhabitants because her actions have put everyone in danger. We learn that Judas exposed a deception about the ship’s true purpose – it’s actually populated entirely by robots, except for her. The game begins with Judas being ‘reprinted,’ suggesting she’s died and been recreated at least once.

Judas appears to play a lot like BioShock. The trailer showed weapons – both guns and melee – and special abilities that are reminiscent of BioShock’s Plasmids. It’s a first-person shooter where you can use weapons and the surrounding environment to defeat enemies. You can also hack enemies and turn them against each other.

Choosing to assist or ignore the three main leaders affects more than just the storyline. Neglecting one could block a crucial escape route when enemies are chasing you. On the other hand, aiding a leader might result in them showing up to help you in a fight. Thankfully, no matter what you decide, your robotic dog will always be there to help you explore the ship.

The game is visually stunning, with creative and imaginative designs. You’ll face a diverse range of robotic enemies, from horse-like law enforcers to a menacing dentist chair. The Mayflower ship itself is a highlight – it’s designed as a fully functioning city and successfully captures that feel, blending futuristic sci-fi elements with the atmosphere of iconic locations like Rapture and Columbia to create a truly original setting.

When Will We See Judas?

Man, I’m still waiting for Judas! It was first shown off back in 2022, and we still don’t know when it’s coming out. 2K originally said 2025, but that’s been pushed back with no new date in sight. I’m really hoping we’ll see it in 2026 – the last thing I want is for it to end up like BioShock 4, which apparently didn’t pass an internal playtest. With The Game Awards coming up soon, I’m crossing my fingers that Ghost Story Games finally gives us a big update, and maybe even a release date!

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Read More

2025-12-06 00:14