Striking Distance Studios Faces Major Changes After The Callisto Protocol's Disappointing Launch

Politics, News Sept. 21, 2023, 5:49 a.m.

Striking Distance Studios, developer of The Callisto Protocol, sees three top executives, including co-founder Glen Schofield, leave after the games underwhelming performance. Schofields role as CEO is now filled by Steve Papoutsis, a Dead Space veteran. The game faced criticism for its challenging combat and poor PC performance, falling short of sales expectations. In contrast, the Dead Space remake was well-received.

Striking Distance Studios, the developer behind The Callisto Protocol, is undergoing significant changes following the game's disappointing commercial performance. Notably, three key executives, including studio co-founder Glen Schofield, a veteran of the Dead Space franchise, are departing the company.

According to reports from Bloomberg, Glen Schofield, who formerly held the position of CEO at Striking Distance, is among those leaving, alongside the studio's Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs). A spokesperson from Krafton, the parent company of Striking Distance Studios, has stated that all three departures are voluntary. Schofield himself characterized his departure as "bittersweet" but expressed confidence in the studio's future.

Schofield's role as CEO will be assumed by Steve Papoutsis, the current Chief Development Officer. Papoutsis, also with a rich history in the Dead Space series, having served as a producer for the main series and its spin-offs during his tenure at EA.

The Callisto Protocol, released in late 2022, faced mixed reviews, with criticisms centering on its challenging combat and performance issues, particularly on PC. In our own review, we rated the game three out of five, describing it as "an impressive title hindered by its unforgiving combat." Reports emerged earlier this year that the game fell short of Krafton's sales expectations, having sold only two million copies instead of the anticipated five million.

The Callisto Protocol was conceived as a spiritual successor to Dead Space, a series in which Schofield played a pivotal role. Schofield had faced criticism for openly discussing long working hours on the project, a practice that clashed with the industry's growing opposition to crunch culture. He later issued an apology for his remarks.

In contrast to The Callisto Protocol, the Dead Space remake, launched a month later, received widespread acclaim. In our review, we awarded it four-and-a-half stars out of five, hailing it as "a superb blend of the familiar, the fresh, and the downright terrifying."

Striking Distance Studios had recently laid off 32 developers just a month before these executive departures.