System Shock 2

System Shock 2
Developer(s)	Irrational Games Looking Glass Studios Nightdive Studios (Enhanced Edition)
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts Nightdive Studios (Enhanced Edition)
Producer(s)	Josh Randall
Designer(s)	Ken Levine
Programmer(s)	Rob Fermier
Artist(s)	Gareth Hinds
Writer(s)	Ken Levine
Composer(s)	Josh Randall Ramin Djawadi Eric Brosius
Series	System Shock
Engine	Dark Engine Kex Engine (Enhanced Edition)
Platform(s)	Windows OS X Linux
Release	Windows NA: August 11, 1999[1] OS X WW: June 18, 2013 Linux WW: April 1, 2014
Genre(s)	Action role-playing, first-person shooter, survival horror, immersive sim
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

System Shock 2 is a 1999 action role-playing survival horror video game designed by Ken Levine and co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. Originally intended to be a standalone title, its story was changed during production into a sequel to the 1994 game System Shock. The alterations were made when Electronic Arts—who owned the System Shock franchise rights—signed on as publisher.

The game takes place on board a starship in a cyberpunk depiction of 2114. The player assumes the role of a soldier trying to stem the outbreak of a genetic infection that has devastated the ship. Like System Shock, gameplay consists of first-person combat and exploration. It incorporates role-playing elements, in which the player can develop skills and traits, such as hacking and psionic abilities.

System Shock 2 was originally released in August 1999 for Microsoft Windows. The game received critical acclaim but failed to meet commercial sales expectations. Many critics later determined that the game was highly influential in subsequent game design, particularly on first-person shooters, and considered it far ahead of its time. It has been included in several "greatest games of all time" lists. In 2007, Irrational Games released a spiritual successor to the System Shock series, titled BioShock, to critical acclaim and strong sales.

System Shock 2 had been in intellectual property limbo following the closure of Looking Glass Studios. Nightdive Studios were able to secure the rights to the game and the System Shock franchise in 2013 to release an updated version of System Shock 2 for modern operating systems, including for OS X and Linux, and announced plans to release an Enhanced Edition of the game. OtherSide Entertainment announced in 2015 that they had acquired the rights from Nightdive Studios to produce a sequel, System Shock 3, but as of 2020 the rights have since been transferred to Tencent.