Striking Distance, the renowned gaming studio responsible for the alien horror game ‘The Callisto Protocol’, has recently undergone a distressing setback. The studio has announced that it has laid off 32 employees as part of its efforts to restructure and reorient its priorities towards current and future projects. This decision comes as a result of a joint effort between Striking Distance and its publisher, Krafton, who strive to optimize the studio’s position in the industry.
News regarding the layoffs first started to circulate on social media, with affected employees such as Nora Falcon, Matthew Smith, and Sebastion Marlow sharing their experiences. Later on, Striking Distance and Krafton, in a joint statement to IGN, confirmed the unfortunate situation. The statement emphasized that the studio acknowledges the invaluable contributions of each departing team member and is committed to providing material support, including outplacement services and generous severance packages.
The Callisto Protocol
The Callisto Protocol, which was released late last year, emerged as a spiritual successor to the beloved horror franchise, Dead Space. With the guidance of Glen Schofield, the former producer of Dead Space, hopes were high for this game. However, reports indicate that The Callisto Protocol needed to sell five million copies in order to recover its substantial production costs. Unfortunately, as of January 2023, the game had only managed to sell two million copies.
Critical Feedback
In line with the disappointing sales figures, critical reviews have also surfaced. Alice Bee, in her review, highlighted concerns regarding the game’s unconventional combat controls and technical problems, particularly on the PC platform. While subsequent patches attempted to address some of the PC version’s performance issues, the overall consensus remained lukewarm, with Bee dubbing the game as “just allllright.”
Moving Forward
Despite the recent setbacks, Striking Distance remains positive about its future endeavors. The studio and Krafton believe that the strategic changes implemented as a result of the layoffs will ultimately position the company in a stronger and more competitive stance within the industry. The focus now shifts towards allocating resources and manpower to existing and upcoming projects, which will hopefully pave the way for success and redemption.
The layoffs at Striking Distance have undoubtedly caused distress for both the affected employees and the studio as a whole. However, by prioritizing the well-being of the departing team members and implementing strategic changes, Striking Distance and Krafton aim to forge a path toward a brighter future. With their sights set on new ventures and a renewed focus, only time will tell if these efforts will pay off and propel Striking Distance to the heights of success once again.
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