The Callisto Protocol Was Reportedly Forced to Ship Early

The Callisto Protocol was praised for its visuals and atmospheric setting, yet upon its release in December 2022, it failed to resonate with many players. In a new interview (via PCGamesN) with the game’s director Glen Schofield, many of the game’s issues are discussed, including the development process itself.

“I wanted about three and a half more months,” Schofield says. “I was led to believe that that was the way it was going to be. In October or September ‘21, I was told ‘You’re going to get the time. Put whatever you want into the game.’ So I spent that Christmas holiday just designing and coming up with ideas with some of the guys. And then January comes around and some of the [Krafton] folks come over and they just said ‘no no no. It’s December 2022.”

Additionally, the pandemic impacted the game’s creation, along with mass resignations.

“You have a studio of 200 people,” Schofield continues. “10 to 20 people a month were getting sick, and they were getting sick for weeks. We were devastated. Sometimes our whole department for VFX would be out, our whole animation department. And then on top of that, in ‘21, we had the great resignation. 49 people quit, because everybody’s paying through the roof, and so people are leaving for $10,000 more. ‘21 was the worst year of development of my life.”

In March, an action roguelike spinoff of The Callisto Protocol codenamed ‘Project Birdseye’ was announced.

The Callisto Protocol was released in December 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game received praise for its balance of horror and action and was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction at the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.