Glen Schofield recently delivered a keynote at Gamescom Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, where he also provided multiple interviews regarding the gaming industry. Schofield isn’t pulling any punches in mentioning what he thinks is fallacious within the industry and what steps may very well be taken to repair it. From execs making the fallacious decisions to the correct use of AI as a tool to help in game development versus using it to make them, and concerns with the present well-being of some popular franchises, the previous Dead Space creator and Call of Duty director had quite a bit to say on things.
Starting together with his interview with VGC, Schoefield professes how the blame for a lot of failed games in recent times may be laid on the execs who picked the fallacious people to go their development. From inexperienced directors to investing within the fallacious games, he’s very direct a couple of poor decision-making process.
“But what I’m saying to the executives is you already know games are going to make plenty of money, if you happen to make the suitable ones. And so, I didn’t see the investment in games being the issue. I saw who you picked to run those games as the issue.”
-Glen Schofield
On the subject of the usage of AI, Schofield could be very open-minded to its use in game development and does advocate for it, but in a responsible manner. Using his experience with Midjourney for example, he explains how AI may be very useful for brainstorming and experimenting, and the way someone wanting to create a game should learn some AI to enhance the event process and cut down time spent on the project. He adds that those individuals will change into indispensable, and now’s the time to achieve this. Nonetheless, when asked by PC Gamer about Elon Musk’s claim that his xAI could create and release a game inside a yr, things got a bit spicier.
“Making a game in a yr? I mean look, anyone’s going to do it, right. But I don’t think it’s going to be great yet. He’s filled with crap. That’s what I consider. I need to really say that to him.”
-Glen Schofield
With wave after wave of studios being bought out and layoffs either preceding and/or following the deal, together with cancelled games, failed releases, and studio closures, there’s plenty to fret about inside the current gaming ecoscape. Glen expressed his feelings regarding the downward trend, as seen with what has happened to the Call of Duty franchise since his departure, in addition to how changes at Microsoft and EA have seemingly damaged their popular franchises.
“Because what’s happening to Gears of War, where’s Halo… you already know what I mean? And also you have a look at EA, you have a look at these big firms, and I’m like where’s the Strike games? Where’s this game? And there’s so many who just fall by the wayside.”
-Glen Schofield
In what may be a surprise to some, Schofield has been attempting to get a fourth Dead Space instalment off the bottom. It needs to be made clear that while he did help create the primary game, he was not involved with either of the sequels that followed it. Although the second game did well with fans, the third is commonly regarded as adding a nail within the franchise’s coffin. The Dead Space Remake received praise from reviewers and fans alike, resulting in rumors that a remake of the 2nd game was in development and can be reworked to incorporate content from the third game, however it didn’t take long for news to make rounds that it had been cancelled.
Meanwhile, as founder and CEO of Striking Distance Studios, Schofield attempted to create one other similar space horror game with The Callisto Protocol, but that release was fraught with a somewhat disastrous launch, followed by missed sales targets, culminating in his departure from the studio. He’s since joined Pinstripe Games and attempted to get EA, which very publicly has modified hands in a significant way recently, to greenlight Dead Space 4, but that concept was shot down despite what some would consider a fiscally lucrative pitch, as detailed in an interview with IGN.
“I went to [EA] recently they usually’re like no, we’re not interested anymore,” said Schofield. “I said, I can get back the leadership team. I would like the models from EA Motive [who built the Dead Space remake in 2023] and I can prevent 30 to 40 million dollars on the concept that I even have. And, they’re like, ‘no.’”
Glen Schofield has made some very valid points regarding the gaming industry in his various interviews, and given the upheaval it’s seen in recent times, the aftereffects of the various changes may be seen within the upcoming 2026 game release schedule. There’s barely a handful of recent, not including remakes/remasters, AAA titles slated for 2026, and while GTA6 is anticipated to be one among the largest launches in gaming history, there’s not a complete lot beyond that. In actual fact, except for Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and Nioh 3, not much may be spotted on the AAA horizon, but there could easily be some announcements by Spring/Summer. Microsoft’s Clockwork Revolution is one which involves mind; one other is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, while Marvel’s Wolverine is rumored to reach next fall. Alternatively, 2026 may very well be an awesome yr for indie or small studio releases.