Glen Schofield, co-creator of both Dead Space and its spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol, has openly attributed the latter game's "sub-par release state" to publisher Krafton. Schofield stated that his studio, Striking Distance, was "forced to ship the game" on Krafton's shortened schedule.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schofield explained that development was impacted by both COVID-19 disruptions and Krafton's decisions. The game's original March 2023 release date was moved up to December 2022, significantly reducing the time available for completion. This accelerated timeline allegedly led to reported crunch conditions and the removal of less critical game elements, some of which were later reintroduced as post-launch DLC. The requirement for a cross-platform release on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, coupled with Striking Distance needing to manage aspects of publishing and marketing independently, further complicated development.
Schofield expressed frustration, stating, "I was forced to ship the game. I'm mad at myself, there's no doubt. I was so stunned by that decision, because we had fucking COVID." He recalled that Krafton CEO CH Kim had publicly stated the release "fell short of market expectations." Schofield, however, asserted that Krafton believed "Callisto was a complete failure." He highlighted the studio's continuous post-launch support, noting, "what they didn't know while all they were doing was complaining, we were doing patches. I waited until I finished all the DLC and put out 86 patches. That was a lot of fucking work."
Schofield departed Striking Distance Studios in 2023 and has since retired from game development. The article notes that Schofield does not take personal responsibility for the game's issues, stating he prefers to focus on creative leadership and has expressed interest in using AI in game development. The Callisto Protocol did eventually receive narrative DLC and new game modes following its initial release.