Glen Schofield, creator of Dead Space, retires from the video game industry after 35 years

Glen Schofield, known for creating Dead Space and for his contribution to the Call of Duty series, announced his retirement from the video game industry after a career lasting 35 years. The announcement came via a video posted on LinkedIn, where he wanted to thank his family, the companies he collaborated with, including Electronic Arts and Activision, and everyone who shared this long professional journey with him.

In his message, Schofield recalled how privileged he felt to have lived through one of the most creative periods in the history of the video game industry. He emphasized that he had the opportunity to work alongside some of the best talents in the industry and witnessed the birth of numerous video games that marked entire generations.

In recent years, however, the developer had openly spoken about the increasing difficulties in securing funding and obtaining approval from publishers for new projects. After the release of The Callisto Protocol in 2022 and the subsequent departure from Striking Distance Studios, Schofield had attempted to develop a new horror subgenre but was unable to find the necessary funding.

In 2025, he explained that despite the interest shown during several meetings with potential investors, the requested budgets had progressively decreased, initially dropping to about 10 million dollars and subsequently to a range between 2 and 5 million. Even then, he speculated that The Callisto Protocol might represent his last project as a director.

The article highlights how the situation in the industry further worsened in 2026, with significant layoffs affecting companies such as Xbox, Bungie, and Ubisoft. Meanwhile, Schofield has turned his interest towards visual arts and artificial intelligence. While considering it a useful tool for creativity, he expressed skepticism about some claims that AI could already develop a complete video game independently.

Throughout his career, which began in the early 90s, Schofield has held numerous roles, working as an art director and game director on very different titles, in addition to the famous Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol, and various chapters of Call of Duty developed by Sledgehammer Games. Despite the challenges the industry is facing, Schofield concluded his farewell with a message of optimism.