Word today is that BioShock 2 will have extensive multiplayer, and that multiplayer will be developed outside of 2K Marin. Take-Two announced today that Digital Extremes -- which has developed in the Unreal and Unreal Tournament franchise -- will develop the multiplayer component of the game, working closely with 2K to, as the press release says, "develop a new and substantial element that enhances the lore and fiction of the BioShock universe."

The multiplayer is a prequel experience that shows more of the origins of what happened in Rapture. It is set during the city's fall, where players play as a test subject for Sinclair Solutions. There will be several iconic environments from the first game, all of which will be reworked for multiplayer.


BioShock 2's multiplayer will also take on an experience model. Players will earn experience to get new weapons, plasmids, and tonics, supposedly creating combinations to tailor the game to their play style.



Anthony says: I'm skeptical about a multiplayer component for BioShock 2. It's not that it can't be good, it's just that I've seen numerous cases where creating multiplayer has taken away from the main game. That being said, this could be avoided thanks to the fact that 2K is essentially farming out the work to a secondary studio, leaving the main team free to focus on creating the best single-player experience possible. Guess we'll see soon enough.