The developer of The Callisto Protocol, Striking Distance Studios, has gone through a round of layoffs. In the summer of 2019, a new studio known as Striking Distance Studios was opened and was led by Glen Schofield. Schofield had been one of the heads at Sledgehammer Games prior to this, serving as a key creative on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and Call of Duty: WWII. However, he decided to part ways with that team to form Striking Distance and return to his roots in the horror space, as he was primarily known as one of the key minds behind the original Dead Space. It would later be revealed that The Callisto Protocol was somewhat of a spiritual successor to the Dead Space games with a focus on sci-fi horror, but unfortunately, it would come out around the same time as a remake of that very game.ย
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The Callisto Protocol was met with mixed reviews, a so-so commercial performance due to the timing of its release, and ultimately didn’t seem to have big legs as 2023 has been packed with other games. IGN has reported that Striking Distance Studios was met with a round of layoffs, effecting 32 employees. The team has implemented “strategic changes that realign the studio’s priorities” that will put the studio in a better position for future projects. You can read a statement from publisher Krafton below.
“Striking Distance Studios and KRAFTON have implemented strategic changes that realign the studio’s priorities to better position its current and future projects for success. Unfortunately, these changes have impacted 32 employees. Honoring the invaluable contributions of each departing team member with material support in the form of outplacement services and meaningful severance packages is our top priority during this difficult moment.” ย
As of right now, it remains to be seen what is next for Striking Distance. The Callisto Protocolย has had quite a bit of post-launch support, but it’s unclear if there will be a sequel. Although Schofield is known for Dead Space, his work on Call of Duty was pretty tremendous and shows he can do a variety of things. It will likely be a few years before we get an idea of what comes next from this team.
