The Callisto Protocol Shipped Too Early At Publisher's Insistence, Director Says

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment when I hear about games being rushed to market. The Callisto Protocol, a title that promised so much potential, is a prime example of this issue.


According to Glen Schofield, the director of The Callisto Protocol, the game had to be released prematurely because Striking Distance Studios’ parent company, Krafton, insisted on it. This hashing affected the development process, causing some content to be eliminated in order to meet deadlines.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but share some intriguing insights I picked up from an interview with Dan Allen Gaming. In this chat, Glen Schofield, the mastermind behind Striking Distance Studios, revealed that initially, Krafton gave them free rein to incorporate whatever ideas they desired into The Callisto Protocol. Moreover, they were granted ample time to polish and perfect their creation.

According to Schofield, an additional 3.5 months of work on the game was needed, pushing its launch back to 2023. Ironically, the original deadline in December 2022 turned out to require more of Krafton’s resources.

In simpler terms, Schofield stated that even though the task would be completed three months earlier, it doesn’t save money because he’d still need additional help if the project was kept at its original pace. However, if the task is to be expedited, he would have to speed up the process by three and a half months, which means more people would need to be involved, essentially crowding the team.

In a rush to meet deadlines, Schofield explained that four leaders and two kinds of adversaries were initially planned but didn’t make it into the final version of the project. After departing Striking Distance in 2023, Schofield outlined his ideas for a possible sequel. His concept involved introducing a new character at the beginning of the game who would meet an untimely end halfway through. Later, the original protagonist, Jacob, would reappear unexpectedly to carry on the rest of the storyline.

In August 2023, Striking Distance Studios dismissed over 30 employees soon after the release of the last story expansion for The Callisto Protocol in June. According to TopMob’s review of The Callisto Protocol, while it initially impressed, the game’s emphasis on action-packed scenes fell short in fully developing its horror elements and overwhelmed its underdeveloped combat mechanics.

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2024-08-07 16:40