Glen Schofield, the former co-founder of Sledgehammer Games and co-creator of Dead Space, has announced his retirement from game development. Schofield broke the news in an emotional video on his LinkedIn page, in which he recalled a storied career helping bring iconic games to life and working alongside many talented people for over 35 years.
“After 35 years of making games and directing them, running teams, it’s time for me to officially retire from the day-to-day work,” Schofield said.
“It’s been such an amazing career and I have so many people to thank for it, but I can’t possibly do it all here. To my close friends and family and people who’ve stood by me, patted me on the back, listened to my crazy ideas, thank you so much,” he added.
Schofield went on to thank fans and anyone who played the games he and his teams worked on. “You told me when I was good and you told me when I wasn’t so good, but you made me better,” he said.
The veteran designer and director also reflected on his time working with “some of the greatest talent in the world” across his career, which spanned multiple major publishers and development studios.
“To EA, thank you for letting me make Dead Space. And Activision, you gave me the keys to three Call of Duty games and I really appreciate your trust,” Schofield said. “To my family, thank you so much. You guys have been with me all through this ride. To my kids, thank you. You put up with the crazy dad, controllers all over the place. To my wife, Barb, you’re my partner. I couldn’t have done this alone.”
In closing, Schofield offered something of a reassurance to everyone who thinks the games industry is in peril. “I know times are tough right now, but man, the future ahead is really, really bright,” he said in closing.
“I wish you all, the next generation of game makers, the best of luck. Explore, experiment, enjoy, and don’t forget that the most important thing is the idea.”
Schofield’s last major project was 2022’s The Callisto Protocol, a Dead Space spiritual successor. The game wasn’t particularly well received, and its publisher said it did not hit its sales targets. In 2023, he left the studio he founded and went independent, later pitching Dead Space 4 to EA, though that sadly went nowhere.
