Dead Space creator Glen Schofield announces retirement after 35 years in the video game industry

Q: When did Glen Schofield announce his retirement and where was the announcement made?

He announced his retirement in an emotional LinkedIn video. The announcement came after 35 years in the games industry.

Q: Which studios and major game franchises are listed in the article as part of Schofield's 35-year career?

Studios: Crystal Dynamics, EA’s Visceral Games, Activision (which helped him co-found) Sledgehammer Games, and Striking Distance Studios. Major game franchises and titles: the Gex series, the Legacy of Kain series, Dead Space (and a pitched Dead Space 4/remake mention), Call of Duty entries including Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and Call of Duty: WWII, plus The Callisto Protocol.

Q: What role did Schofield play in the creation of Dead Space and where did he develop it?

Glen Schofield was the creator of Dead Space and led its development. He developed the game while at EA's Visceral Games, where he was given the creative freedom to build something entirely new.

Q: Did Schofield attempt to fund any new horror projects after The Callisto Protocol, and what obstacle did he cite?

Yes. He spent time trying to get a new horror game funded alongside his daughter, but the project never found backing because publisher appetite for mid-budget games had dried up.

Schofield announced his retirement in an emotional LinkedIn video, closing a career that included Dead Space, Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and WWII.

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Hassam Nasir

Tech Reporter

Published Jul 15, 2026 10:54 PM CDT

1 minute & 15 seconds read time

TL;DR: Glen Schofield, creator of Dead Space and Sledgehammer Games co-founder, announced retirement after 35 years in an emotional LinkedIn video, thanking family, colleagues, fans, and studios. His career spanned roles at Crystal Dynamics, Visceral Games, Activision/Sledgehammer, and Striking Distance, ending after The Callisto Protocol and failed funding for new horror projects.

Voice: Hassam NasirSpeed

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Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space and co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, has announced his retirement from the games industry after 35 years. The news came in an emotional LinkedIn video in which Schofield thanked his family, colleagues, fans, and the studios that gave him the freedom to make the games he made.

"After 35 years of making games and directing them, running teams, it's time for me to officially retire from day-to-day work," Schofield said. "I had a front row seat to one of the greatest creative explosions in history."

Schofield's career reads like a timeline of some of the most influential games of the past three decades. He started as an artist before working his way up to VP at Crystal Dynamics, where he worked on the Gex series and the Legacy of Kain series. From there, he moved to EA's Visceral Games, where he was given the creative freedom to build something entirely new.

Read more: Former Call of Duty director says since he left 'the games aren't as good'
Read more: Glen Schofield's dev team was audited twice while making Callisto Protocol

Dead Space creator Glen Schofield announces retirement after 35 years in the video game industry 1

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That something was Dead Space, one of the most influential horror games ever made. After its success, Activision brought him on to co-found Sledgehammer Games alongside Michael Condrey. There, he helped co-develop Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 under pressure after Infinity Ward collapsed, and later led Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: WWII.

His final project as director was The Callisto Protocol in 2022, a spiritual successor to Dead Space that struggled commercially and led to his departure from Striking Distance Studios. After that, Schofield spent time trying to get a new horror game funded alongside his daughter, but the project never found backing as publisher appetite for mid-budget games dried up. He also pitched Dead Space 4 to EA around the time of the 2023 remake, but that went nowhere either.

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When did Glen Schofield announce his retirement and where was the announcement made?

Question #2

Which studios and major game franchises are listed in the article as part of Schofield's 35-year career?

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What role did Schofield play in the creation of Dead Space and where did he develop it?

Question #4

Did Schofield attempt to fund any new horror projects after The Callisto Protocol, and what obstacle did he cite?

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Despite everything, Schofield closed his retirement video on an optimistic note. "This is an amazing industry with so many talented people. I know times are tough right now, but man, the future ahead is really, really bright. Explore, experiment, enjoy, and don't forget that the most important thing is the idea."