Glen Scholfield, the founding father of Hanging Distance Studios, the group behind The Callisto Protocol, has reportedly left the studio as a result of him “pursuing a brand new journey.”
The studio can be turned over to the now former chief improvement officer, Steve Papoutsis, who Schofield has labored with for years, together with throughout his time at Visceral Studios.
In a press release despatched from Krafton, “there isn’t any higher individual than Steve to information SDS by means of this transition,” and of Schofield, Krafton says his “contributions throughout his time at Krafton have been invaluable. He constructed an ace group of skills at SDS and set a excessive commonplace for the work they did collectively every single day. We’re assured within the group’s continued success due to the numerous influence Glen has had.”
For Schofield’s half, he mentioned “creating Hanging Distance Studios has been an unimaginable journey and I’m so happy with what we’ve achieved with The Callisto Protocol, a sport near my coronary heart. Whereas pursuing a brand new journey is thrilling, leaving SDS is bittersweet, however I do know the studio is in glorious palms.
Steve and I am going means again to working at Visceral Video games. I noticed how profitable he was in taking the reins after my departure then and the way he continued the studio’s success and development. That’s how I do know he’s the one to steer the studio into its subsequent chapter.”
When Hanging Distance Studios was first revealed, there was numerous pleasure within the air. Schofield has a robust monitor report because the creator of Useless Area, and what’s extra the studios first sport could be one other horror title.
There was additionally numerous warning, because it was first meant to be part of the PUBG world with the studio being created in collaboration with Krafton, however as soon as that was shrugged off and The Callisto Protocol started to take form in gamers minds, lots of people obtained much more excited.
Then The Callisto Protocol launched, and the joy for the sport was not matched by the precise gameplay. It didn’t land with gamers in the best way Hanging Distance or Krafton would have favored.
There’s additionally already been layoffs at Hanging Distance as a result of The Callisto Protocol’s poor launch, and this information now makes any fan of the sport marvel what’ll occur to it.
Hanging Distance has boasted about the way it had years of content material deliberate, Schofield himself even spoke about eager to make a sequel.
Now, it’ll be curious to see if Hanging Distance continues to work with the IP, or switches to one thing new. Whereas The Callisto Protocol might not have landed with everybody, it confirmed that the group at Hanging Distance is extremely proficient.
Hopefully the studio is ready to discover its footing in its subsequent undertaking, no matter that finally ends up being. In accordance with Krafton, it has “been fastidiously planning for the transition to make sure a easy handover and uninterrupted operations. Hanging Distance Studios is dedicated to supporting its extremely proficient group.
Our employees stays a high precedence throughout this transition as they’re the spine of our success. The studio’s plans stay unaffected, and its focus is to proceed producing distinctive content material.”
As for Schofield, whereas earlier in his profession it was straightforward to say that gamers ought to look to what he does subsequent, following this Callisto disaster, it simply doesn’t appear that easy anymore.
Article up to date to incorporate official statements from Glen Schofield and Krafton.
Supply – [Bloomberg, Krafton PR]
