2K Games announced today its nationwide Return to Rapture with midnight openings celebrating the launch of the eagerly awaited BioShock 2, the shocking sequel to the 2007 Game of the Year. On February 9, more than 2,500 GameStop and Best Buy stores will open their doors when the clock strikes midnight to the hordes of Big Daddy fans hungry to get their hands on and devour BioShock 2.

 Additionally, those who pre-ordered the game through GameStop will receive two bonus characters* - Blanche the Actress and Zigo the Fisherman - to use in the game’s multiplayer mode. The road to the launch of BioShock 2 kicks off tonight, with the debut of a 3 minute 15 second trailer during the first commercial break of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

"One of the most exciting aspects of the original BioShock was how our
fans responded with adoration for the game, from creating homemade Big
Daddy suits to their own BioShock-inspired art and videos," said
Christoph Hartmann, president, 2K. "We felt it was only fitting to
reach out to those passionate fans with nationwide Return to Rapture
midnight openings where they can pick up their copy of BioShock 2 as
early as possible."

 Debuting during the first commercial block of NBC’s Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon exclusively in North America, the launch trailer is a
realization of the elements that BioShock 2 fans have been clamoring
for. Breathtaking action set against the backdrop of a decaying
underwater Utopia provides players with the slice of Rapture that
awaits them next week, all presented in a style that is distinctively
representative of the BioShock universe.

 BioShock 2 will provide players with the perfect blend of explosive
first-person shooter combat, compelling storytelling and intense
multiplayer to form one of 2010’s most highly anticipated titles. Set
approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the
halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the
Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and
bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. Players step into
the boots of the most iconic denizen of Rapture, the Big Daddy, as
they travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an
unseen foe in search of answers and their own survival.

 BioShock 2 was developed by 2K Marin in collaboration with 2K
Australia, Digital Extremes and 2K China. The game will be available
worldwide on February 9, 2010, and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.