BioShock 4 seemingly using the next-gen Unreal Engine 5

BioShock 4 could be using the Unreal Engine 5 according to a new job listing.

The recruitment advert for a Senior Gameplay Programmer at Cloud Chamber, where the upcoming BioShock 4 is being developed, mentions Epic's Unreal Engine 5, specifically that the candidate "work within Unreal Engine 5 adapting existing systems and building new technology in order to fulfill the project’s technical needs and creative goals."

This would certainly seem to point towards BioShock 4 being developed using the Unreal Engine 5. You might recall that the game engine was first debuted by developer Epic Games over a year ago, where it used the forthcoming PS5 to demo a stunning desert landscape, which wowed developers and fans alike watching around the world.

Since then, Epic has opened up the Unreal Engine 5 to developers in early access form, which was announced just last week. A new PS5 and Xbox Series X gameplay reel was published using gameplay constructed through the Unreal Engine 5, and it looked downright stunning. Plus, developers could even make the robot featured in the demo dab using the famed Konami code.

Right now, a tiny number of games are actively using Unreal Engine 5 for development, including Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, and developer inXile's next game after Wasteland 3. If this new job listing from developer Cloud Chamber is to be taken at face value, then BioShock 4 could be joining that very short list of games using the next-gen engine.

Over the last six months, tiny details about the new BioShock game have been hinted at. For example, one job listing pointed to the new game having a Fallout-like dialog system, and another job listing hinted at BioShock 4 pivoting to an entirely open-world game. 

There's a lot we still don't know about BioShock 4, including where it'll be set in particular, and from the text pertaining to the Senior Gameplay Programmer "adapting existing systems," it seems like it's still a few years away from launch at best. Be sure to head back to GamesRadar to find out more about our next trip to the BioShock universe. 

For more on what we can expect from the next entry in the BioShock series, head over to our interview with Cloud Chamber head Kelley Gilmore for more.