Glen Schofield, the designer behind Dead Space, has announced that he is retiring from day-to-day game development. He made the announcement in a video posted to LinkedIn, Rock Paper Shotgun reported, ending a career that began in the early 1990s.
After 35 years of making games and directing them, running teams, it's time for me to officially retire from the day-to-day work.
Schofield's credits span a wide range of the industry, from Disney World racing games early in his career through Call of Duty and, most recently, The Callisto Protocol. Barring a return, that 2022 survival horror game stands as his last.
In the announcement he thanked players directly for their reception of his work over the years, saying they had let his teams' games into their homes and told him both when he was good and when he was not, which he said made him better. Addressing colleagues in the industry, he said he had "had a front row seat to one of the greatest creative explosions in history."
A message to the next generation
Schofield closed the video with remarks aimed at newer developers, acknowledging the state of an industry that has seen sustained layoffs and studio closures.
This is an amazing industry with so many talented people, and I know times are tough right now, but, man, the future is really, really bright. I wish you all, the next generation of game makers, the best of luck. Explore, experiment, enjoy and don't forget that the most important thing is the idea.
Dead Space, released in 2008, remains the work Schofield is most closely identified with, and its influence on the survival horror genre outlasted the original trilogy. The series returned in 2023 with a remake of the first game. Schofield went on to co-found Striking Distance Studios, where he directed The Callisto Protocol, a spiritual successor that drew on the same design lineage.
Join the conversation — sign in to comment.
Sign in