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 pointing out what he thinks is wrong in the industry and what steps could be taken to fix it. From execs making the wrong decisions to the proper use of AI as a tool to assist in game development as opposed to using it to make them, and concerns with the current well-being of some popular franchises, the former Dead Space creator and Call of Duty director had quite a bit to say on things.
Starting with his interview with VGC, Schoefield professes how the blame for many failed games in recent years can be laid at the execs who picked the wrong people to head their development. From inexperienced directors to investing in the wrong games, he’s very direct about a poor decision-making process.
“But what I’m saying to the executives is you know games are going to make a lot of money, if you make the right ones. And so, I didn’t see the investment in games being the problem. I saw who you picked to run those games as the problem.”
-Glen Schofield
When it comes to the use of AI, Schofield is very open-minded to its use in game development and does advocate for it, but in a responsible manner. Using his experience with Midjourney as an example, he explains how AI can be very useful for brainstorming and experimenting, and how someone wanting to create a game should learn some AI to improve the development process and cut down time spent on the project. He adds that those individuals will become indispensable, and now is the time to do so. However, when asked by PC Gamer about Elon Musk’s claim that his xAI could create and release a game within a year, things got a bit spicier.
“Making a game in a year? I mean look, somebody’s going to do it, right. But I don’t think it’s going to be great yet. He’s full of crap. That’s what I believe. I want to actually say that to him.”
-Glen Schofield
With wave after wave of studios being bought out and layoffs either preceding and/or following the deal, along with cancelled games, failed releases, and studio closures, there’s plenty to worry about within 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, as well as how changes at Microsoft and EA have seemingly damaged their popular franchises.
“Because what’s happening to Gears of War, where’s Halo… you know what I mean? And you look at EA, you look at these big companies, and I’m like where’s the Strike games? Where’s this game? And there’s so many that just fall by the wayside.”
-Glen Schofield
In what might be a surprise to some, Schofield has been attempting to get a fourth Dead Space instalment off the ground. It should be made clear that while he did help create the first game, he was not involved with either of the sequels that followed it. Although the second game did well with fans, the third is often thought of as adding a nail in the franchise’s coffin. The Dead Space Remake received praise from reviewers and fans alike, leading to rumors that a remake of the 2nd game was in development and would be reworked to include content from the 3rd game, but 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 another 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 changed hands in a major way recently, to greenlight Dead Space 4, but that idea was shot down despite what some would consider a fiscally lucrative pitch, as detailed in an interview with IGN.
“I went to [EA] recently and they’re like no, we’re not interested anymore,” said Schofield. “I said, I can get back the leadership team. I need the models from EA Motive [who built the Dead Space remake in 2023] and I can save you 30 to 40 million dollars on the idea that I 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 years, the aftereffects of the many changes can be seen in the upcoming 2026 game release schedule. There’s barely a handful of new, not including remakes/remasters, AAA titles slated for 2026, and while GTA6 is expected to be one of the biggest launches in gaming history, there’s not a whole lot beyond that. In fact, aside from Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and Nioh 3, not much can be spotted on the AAA horizon, but there could easily be some announcements by Spring/Summer. Microsoft’s Clockwork Revolution is one that comes to mind; another is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, while Marvel’s Wolverine is rumored to arrive next fall. On the other hand, 2026 could be a great year for indie or small studio releases.