Striking Distance Studios

Striking Distance Studios is an American video-game development studio established in 2019 under the Krafton corporate group. The company was founded and initially led by Glen Schofield, a game director and producer associated with the creation of the Dead Space franchise at Visceral Games. Krafton originally created the studio to develop a narrative-driven project that could broaden the story world associated with PUBG: Battlegrounds. Schofield brought forward a separate science-fiction horror concept centered on Callisto, one of Jupiter's moons, and developed it with Krafton into The Callisto Protocol. The studio's debut title, The Callisto Protocol, was released in December 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Published by Krafton, the game places players in the role of Jacob Lee, a freight transporter imprisoned on Callisto after a spacecraft crash. Its setting, third-person perspective, resource management, environmental storytelling, close-quarters combat, and emphasis on cinematic horror drew comparisons with Dead Space, although the project was presented as a distinct intellectual property rather than an official continuation. Development involved a number of former Visceral Games and Sledgehammer Games personnel, including senior creative, technical, design, and animation staff. The project was designed around high-fidelity lighting, spatial audio, motion capture, and console haptic features. It used Unreal Engine 4 and was built for both the previous and then-current generations of PlayStation and Xbox hardware. Krafton partnered with Skybound Entertainment to support distribution and possible expansion of the property across other media. The wider franchise eventually included the six-episode fiction podcast The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station, released before the main game, the story expansion The Final Transmission in 2023, and the isometric roguelike spin-off [REDACTED] in 2024. The Callisto Protocol received mixed critical reviews. Reviewers commonly praised its visual presentation, atmosphere, performances, and production values, while criticism focused on combat, pacing, technical problems, and aspects of the narrative. The game reportedly fell short of Krafton's sales expectations. Its development and marketing budget was reported in public coverage at approximately 200 billion South Korean won, but that figure should be treated as a reported estimate rather than a company-disclosed financial statement. Striking Distance also became associated with controversy surrounding development practices. In September 2022, Schofield posted a message about the team's efforts that was widely interpreted as celebrating excessive overtime, prompting criticism from game-industry observers. He deleted the post, apologized, and later said that sustained crunch would not be part of the studio's future work. In August 2023, the company announced that 32 employees would be laid off as it realigned its priorities. Schofield subsequently disclosed that the game had shipped earlier than originally planned and that production had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and significant staff departures. Reports in February 2025 indicated that most of the studio's developers had been laid off. Public information does not establish that the company has formally dissolved, so its current operating status remains subject to review.

Striking Distance Studios was established in June 2019 within the Krafton group and was led by Glen Schofield, whose earlier work included co-creating the Dead Space series at Visceral Games. Krafton initially wanted the new studio to help expand the narrative dimensions of PUBG: Battlegrounds. Schofield already had an idea for a science-fiction horror game set on Callisto, and the concept was developed with Krafton while retaining only limited references to the PUBG universe. By 2022, Schofield described the project as its own story. The resulting game, The Callisto Protocol, follows Jacob Lee, a freight pilot imprisoned at Black Iron Prison after a crash on Jupiter's moon Callisto. An outbreak transforms inmates into hostile biophages, forcing Jacob to investigate the prison's experiments and the relationship between the outbreak and a wider conspiracy. The game was designed as a cinematic third-person survival-horror experience, combining exploration, resource collection, audio logs, firearms, and a distinctive close-combat system. Its visual design and interface reflected the studio's interest in immersive presentation, including diegetic health information, advanced lighting, 3D audio, and platform-specific haptic effects. Development involved approximately 150 employees at one stage, including a substantial group of former Visceral Games and Sledgehammer Games personnel. The project used Unreal Engine 4 and targeted PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S while also supporting earlier console hardware and Windows. Krafton and Striking Distance worked with Skybound Entertainment on distribution and possible franchise expansion. A six-part prequel podcast, The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station, preceded the game and featured Gwendoline Christie and Michael Ironside. The Callisto Protocol launched on December 2, 2022. It received mixed reviews: its atmosphere, graphics, sound, performances, and production ambition were often recognized, while combat design, pacing, technical performance, and narrative execution drew criticism. The game reportedly did not achieve Krafton's sales expectations. The Japanese release was canceled because the game did not receive a CERO rating and the developer did not agree to the requested violence-related changes. In September 2022, a social-media post by Schofield concerning the team's development effort generated backlash because it was interpreted as celebrating crunch. Schofield removed the post and apologized, later saying that crunch would not be a feature of the studio's subsequent projects. The studio released The Final Transmission in June 2023, adding a concluding story chapter, and later supported the setting through the 2024 spin-off [REDACTED]. The company's workforce then contracted sharply. In August 2023, Striking Distance announced 32 layoffs while describing the move as a realignment of priorities. In later comments, Schofield said The Callisto Protocol had shipped three months earlier than planned, with four bosses and two enemy types removed during production. He also cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the departure of 49 developers in 2021 as factors that affected development. Reports published in February 2025 stated that most of the studio's developers had been laid off. The public record supplied here does not conclusively establish whether the studio has been dissolved or remains a functioning development label.

• 2024

  [REDACTED] released

  [2]The Callisto Protocolen.wikipedia.org

  The studio expanded the property with an isometric roguelike spin-off.

• 2023

  The Final Transmission released

  [2]The Callisto Protocolen.wikipedia.org

  The story expansion continued Jacob Lee's narrative after the main campaign.

• 2022

  The Callisto Protocol released

  [2]The Callisto Protocolen.wikipedia.org

  The studio launched its debut survival-horror game for PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows platforms.

• 2019

  Studio established

  [1]Striking Distance Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Krafton formed Striking Distance Studios under Glen Schofield to pursue a narrative-focused game project.

A premium, cinematic game-development studio focused on high-production-value narrative experiences, especially science-fiction and survival horror.

• Survival-horror video game · 2022

  The Callisto Protocol

  Striking Distance Studios' debut game is a third-person science-fiction survival-horror title set on Callisto in the year 2320. Players control Jacob Lee, who must survive an outbreak inside Black Iron Prison while uncovering the United Jupiter Company's experiments and the prison's concealed history. The game combines exploration, environmental storytelling, firearms, resource management, and close-quarters combat. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2022.

• Story expansion · 2023

  The Final Transmission

  The Final Transmission is a story-based downloadable expansion for The Callisto Protocol. It follows the main campaign and deepens the fate of Jacob Lee, Dr. Caitlyn Mahler, Black Iron Prison, and the evidence surrounding the Callisto outbreak. It launched on PlayStation on June 27, 2023, followed by Windows and Xbox releases on June 29.

• Roguelike video game · 2024

  [REDACTED]

  [REDACTED] is an isometric roguelike spin-off set in the Black Iron Prison universe. The player controls a prison guard attempting to reach the last escape pod while fighting infected inmates. It was released for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 31, 2024.

• Fiction podcast · 2022

  The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station

  Helix Station is a six-episode prequel fiction podcast connected to The Callisto Protocol. Released from November 3 to December 1, 2022, it follows a skiptracer investigating an escaped criminal aboard a derelict space station and broadens the property's science-fiction setting beyond the main game.

• 2022

  Crunch-culture backlash

  A social-media post by Glen Schofield about the team's work on The Callisto Protocol was criticized as portraying excessive overtime positively. He deleted the post and apologized, and later said that crunch would not be part of the studio's future projects.

  Source

Read more

• 2022The Callisto Protocol launch campaign

  Global

  The studio and Krafton marketed The Callisto Protocol as a premium next-generation survival-horror experience, emphasizing cinematic presentation, realistic character performance, advanced lighting, spatial audio, and the creative connection to Glen Schofield's earlier horror work.

  Outcome. The game attracted substantial attention and established a new intellectual property, but critical reception was mixed and reported sales did not meet Krafton's expectations.

  Source
• 2022Helix Station transmedia promotion

  Global

  A six-part prequel podcast featuring Gwendoline Christie and Michael Ironside expanded the setting before the game's release and supported the property's broader media strategy.

  Outcome. The podcast was released ahead of the main game as part of the franchise launch.

  Source

• 2023

  Realign studio prioritiesStrategy

  Background

  Following the launch of The Callisto Protocol and The Final Transmission, the studio reassessed its workforce and project priorities.

  Action taken

  Striking Distance announced the elimination of 32 positions.

  Aftermath

  The layoffs reduced the studio's workforce; later reporting described further extensive reductions.

  Source

• 2022

  Separate The Callisto Protocol from PUBG continuityStrategy

  Background

  The studio was initially created to help develop a narrative project associated with Krafton's PUBG universe, but the Callisto concept developed into a distinct science-fiction property.

  Action taken

  Striking Distance and Krafton presented the game as its own story while retaining only minor thematic or referential links.

  Aftermath

  The decision allowed the studio to establish a new intellectual property rather than produce a direct PUBG narrative title.

  Source

• 2022

  Decline violence-related changes for JapanOther

  Background

  The game did not receive a CERO rating in Japan because of its violent content.

  Action taken

  The developer declined to make the changes required for the rating, resulting in cancellation of the Japanese release.

  Aftermath

  The Callisto Protocol was not officially released in Japan.

  Source

1. 1Striking Distance Studiosen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Callisto Protocolen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Striking Distance Studios official websitesds.com