Glen Schofield, co-creator of Dead Space, founder of Sledgehammer Games, and recent director of The Callisto Protocol, noted that "it's tough out there" in the gaming sector. He also revealed he may have "directed my last game" after his latest prototype failed to secure necessary funding.

In an honest update on LinkedIn, Schofield shared that he has been collaborating with his talented daughter, Nicole, a skilled artist who proposed a new horror title—possibly introducing a fresh sub-genre. The concept has been in development for the past eight months.

Schofield partnered with six U.S.-based developers and a complete team across the UK to pitch the project. While most industry contacts "loved the concept," budget expectations shifted significantly. Initially estimating $17 million, he was advised to reduce costs to "$10 million," eventually streamlining the scope further to fit within a "$2-5 million" range.

"So last month, we decided to walk away. Some ideas are better left untouched than done cheap," Schofield explained. "We had a team of six here in the States and a full crew in the UK. Now, everyone’s looking for work. They’re all talented folks — if you’re hiring, let me know.

"As for me — I’ve worked on games of every size. From two of us to over 300 devs. Spent the last 15–20 years making big AAA titles with great teams. That’s what I do. That’s what I love. But with the industry on pause, AAA feels like it’s a long ways away."

Although Schofield has returned to his artistic roots, he admits he misses large-scale production.

"I miss it all; the team, the chaos, the joy of building something for fans. I’m still around, making art, writing stories and ideas, and still cheering the industry on. But maybe I’ve directed my last game. Who knows? If so, thank you [for] playing my games."

Schofield established Striking Distance over six years ago. Owned by Krafton—parent company of PUBG—the studio initially aimed for a narrative-driven title within the PUBG universe but instead released The Callisto Protocol, a standalone third-person survival horror game launched in December 2022.

The title received mixed feedback, facing challenges such as performance issues, reports of intense development crunch, and controversies over developer credits. Approximately one month post-launch, it was disclosed that sales fell short of Krafton's targets, leading to the news that Schofield eventually left the company in September 2023.

In our critique, we rated The Callisto Protocol 'Good,' awarding it a 7/10 in our review, stating: "The Callisto Protocol is a satisfyingly gory spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, but it’s ultimately more of a striking modern mimic than a scary new mutation."