Bloomberg has reported that Glen Schofield, a veteran developer who served as executive producer on the original Dead Space and has worked on a range of games from Gex to Call of Duty, has made the decision to depart from Striking Distance Studios – a studio that he founded in 2019 for the purpose of producing a brand-new title.
That game, which started life as a standalone title within the PUBG universe but was eventually spun away from that idea, would become The Callisto Protocol, which released in December 2022 to mixed reviews and failed to capture audiences or meet publisher Krafton’s sales expectations. Just last month, Striking Distance laid off more than 30 of its employees, and now Schofield, along with the studio’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, is leaving to “pursue new opportunities.”
Bloomberg’s report claims that Striking Distance’s CDO, Steve Papoutsis, will be taking over as CEO, and that Schofield had said in a statement that his exit from the studio is “bittersweet” but that it’s in excellent hands. Krafton says that the studio’s plans are unaffected by this leadership change.
Striking Distance has continued to support the game since launch with sweeping improvements, and new content including the Final Transmission DLC. The game’s own past came to haunt it right after launch though with EA’s remake of the original Dead Space launching just a month or so after and garnering critical acclaim.
Our own review of The Callisto Protocol scored the game an 8/10, saying “The Callisto Protocol is a modest starting point for what I hope will flourish into another heavy-hitting horror franchise. It’s gory and gratuitous, with an endlessly satisfying combat system. But the lack of enemy variety scares, and surprises, even if engaging, stop it from being the horror game masterpiece it’s trying to be. Despite all of its shortcomings, it’s an immensely enjoyable romp that’s left me desperate for more.”
