Callisto Protocol publisher Krafton insisted on releasing it too soon, says director Glen Schofield

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Krafton, the publisher of survival horror game The Callisto Protocol, forced developer Striking Distance to release the game early.

Game director Glen Schofield said this in an interview with Dan Allen Gaming (thanks PCGamesN) where he discusses the problems encountered during the game's development.

Krafton, known for publishing PUBG, insisted that the game be released three months earlier than Schofield wanted. As a result, two and a half bosses and three or four enemy types were cut from the game.

The Callisto Protocol – Official Launch Trailer | PS5 & PS4 GamesWatch on YouTube

Schofield initially spoke of a positive relationship with Krafton, but it appears to have gradually deteriorated.

“I wanted another three and a half months,” Schofield said. “They made me believe that was it. In October or September of '21, they said, 'You'll have time. Put whatever you want into the game.' So I spent that Christmas break just planning and coming up with ideas with some of the guys. And then January came around and some of the [Krafton] people come and just say, 'no no no. It's December 2022.'”

He continued: “It's not that it costs you less money because you put it out three months early, because if I had continued as it was, I wouldn't have had to add anyone. But if you want it to be done, it means I have to speed everything up by three and a half months, which means I have to fit people in here.”

Production on The Callisto Protocol was also severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with 10-20 people a month falling ill for extended periods of time. On top of that, 49 people resigned from the team in 2021. “We were devastated,” Schofield said. “2021 was the worst year of development of my life.”

While Schofield doesn't provide a clear reason for Krafton's requests, it's possible that it's due to the impending release of EA's Dead Space remake, which is due out in January 2023, a month after Callisto Protocol.

When Schofield created the Dead Space series, the two games were in direct competition. In fact, he admitted in the interview that some of his ideas for Dead Space had been carried over, including the prison setting.

The Callisto Protocol reportedly failed to meet sales targets, causing Krafton’s stock price to plummet. Developer Striking Distance then laid off 32 employees in August last year — a month later, Schofield left the studio “to pursue new opportunities.”

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