The news that BioShock 2 would feature at least some multiplayer was received with more questions than answers. Now we are learning that at least in this release, the multiplayer will not feature any dedicated servers or LAN play.

As many already know, the first BioShock did not offer any multiplayer modes at all. Adding the multiplayer to the existing game was a significant undertaking as one can imagine. In order to balance providing the best experience with the time available to complete the project, the decision was made not to pursue adding dedicated servers or LAN play this time around. The developers have not ruled out that it might appear in a future release, however.

Still, we suspect that at least right after the release of BioShock 2, most people will be focused on finishing the game and story itself, so the multiplayer will be an afterthought until the game is completed; and then some players will venture into seeing what the multiplayer might offer. It is likely that at least to start with, no one is really going to miss the lack of dedicated servers and LAN play. Besides, it gives the developer something to offer with the release of BioShock 3.