BioShock 2 Director Jordan Thomas and His 7,000-Hour Path of Exile Addiction

When we look at the resumes of industry legends, we often assume their personal downtime is spent on high-brow artistic experiences. For Jordan Thomas, the visionary director behind BioShock 2 and the creative force at Question, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In a recent interview, Thomas revealed that he spent a massive 7,000 hours playing Path of Exile while simultaneously developing his co-op horror title, The Blackout Club. This Jordan Thomas Path of Exile obsession is a fascinating look at how developers unwind—or perhaps, how they stay perpetually awake.

The Dual Life of a Game Developer

Thomas, whose pedigree includes legendary work on Thief: Deadly Shadows and the infamous Shalebridge Cradle level, admits that his time with Grinding Gear Games’ action RPG was essentially a way to keep himself running. He humorously notes, “I was essentially awake all the time,” managing the intensity of indie development alongside the grind of endgame character builds.

The Roots of a Gaming Titan

Before his deep dive into ARPGs, Thomas’s gaming DNA was formed in the shareware era. His trajectory is a classic “gateway” story for many developers of his generation:

• Early exposure to Commander Keen sparked his initial creativity.
• Transitioned quickly into the dark, atmospheric corridors of Wolfenstein and Quake.
• This fascination with darker, immersive environments became the hallmark of his later professional career at Irrational Games and 2K Marin.

From Fort Frolic to Shakespearean Roguelikes

While his Path of Exile hours are legendary, Thomas remains focused on pushing boundaries with his studio, Question. Their latest project, The Killing Stone, is a testament to his penchant for unique, dark storytelling. Unlike the standard deckbuilder, this title leans heavily into Shakespearean drama.

“It’s set in the 17th century, and you can play it in 17th-century authentic dialogue—so it’s for the real sickos,” Thomas says.

The game tasks players with un-cursing a family’s deck by pulling sins out of their souls, a thematic evolution from the psychological horror he explored in The Blackout Club. It proves that whether he is crushing endgame bosses in a 7,000-hour Path of Exile session or crafting complex, literary roguelikes, Jordan Thomas remains one of the most unpredictable and compelling designers in the industry.

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