"A creative idea can save more money than AI can right now" – Glen Schofield on his retirement, Callisto Protocol's development, and the state of AAA

Glen Schofield, a veteran game developer with a career spanning titles like Barbie: Game Girl and Dead Space, retired in 2024 after leading Striking Distance Studios under Krafton. Now focused on art, he remains undecided between pursuing painting or returning to game development, though he retains a strong creative drive. Schofield’s final game, The Callisto Protocol, faced significant challenges during COVID-19, including remote work disruptions and management decisions that impacted development.

Schofield described remote work as inefficient for creative leadership, preferring in-person collaboration to foster mentorship and daily guidance for junior staff. He criticized Krafton’s decision to accelerate The Callisto Protocol’s release, which reduced development time and forced cuts to the game’s scope, including levels and enemies. The pandemic further strained production, with team members frequently falling ill and rendering teams in Spain temporarily shut down.

Krafton’s lack of publishing infrastructure for a single-player physical release forced Striking Distance to handle these functions internally. The mandate to support both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 added $20 million in costs and logistical hurdles, including sourcing scarce development kits. Despite mixed reviews, Schofield oversaw 86 post-launch patches to address issues, aiming to restore the game’s intended quality.

Schofield revealed Krafton viewed The Callisto Protocol as a failure, dismissing a planned sequel that would have expanded the setting into a sprawling space station overrun by debris. He also expressed concerns about the broader games industry, noting the $69.7 billion Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal and the $55 billion privatization of Electronic Arts signal a closing chapter for US publishing giants.