'BioShock' for iOS is officially dead, developer 2K reveals

Following a hyped release in 2014, and a subsequent removal from the App Store due to compatibility issues, developer 2K has revealed its lauded first person shooter "BioShock" is unlikely to make a return to Apple's portable devices.

After promising work on a pending fix in September 2015, 2K last week quietly reworded the BioShock for iOS support webpage to reflect an apparent change in policy. It seems the company no longer plans to issue the revision that would have delivered support for iOS 8.4 and beyond.

Released in 2014, BioShock for iOS promised a complete port of the original title first released for Windows PCs and Xbox in 2007. Fans of the franchise were expectedly excited at the prospect of revisiting the world of Rapture — and potentially playing sequel titles — on-the-go, but initial reviews fell flat.

BioShock mysteriously vanished from the iOS App Store after the release of iOS 8.4 in June 2015, a concerning development for customers who shelled out $15 for rights to download the game on their various devices. 2K ultimately issued a statement some three months later — after the launch of iOS 9 — saying that while BioShock is incompatible with iOS 8.4 and above, a forthcoming update would restore the title to full functionality.

It seems 2K is no longer interested in extending the life of the iOS port.

"In June 2015, BioShock became incompatible with iOS, following Apple's version 8.4 update. As a result, the game was removed from the App Store and is no longer supported," the company's support page now reads.

As noted by a former PocketGamer editor who goes by the handle Killercow, and subsequently reported by Digital Trends, a previous version of 2K's statement said BioShock had been "temporarily removed" from the App Store.

For customers, the finality of 2K's update means the game will remain incompatible with devices running anything newer than iOS 8.3. When Apple issued iOS 8.4, its latest-generation devices were iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2.