Developer Striking Distance Studios has announced that it has hit been by a fresh round of layoffs. According to PCGamer, publisher and studio owner Krafton has confirmed the layoffs, while mentioning that the studio is still operational.
In a statement, Krafton has said that the studio had to let go of some of its employees in order to maintain a sustainable environment for development. The company has also stated that no more changes to the studio are currently planned, and ongoing support will continue for its games.
“Striking Distance Studios has reduced the size of its team to remain agile, which creates a sustainable environment for the studio at its current stage of development,” said a Krafton representative. “The studio remains operational, and these changes will not impact any planned ongoing support. No further changes are planned at this time.”
Krafton hasn’t confirmed exactly how many of the developers from Striking Distance Studios have been affected. Reports from LinkedIn, however, indicate that most of the studio’s development staff had been affected by layoffs.
Known primarily for its single-player horror game The Callisto Protocol, Striking Distance Studios has since released a roguelike spin-off, titled [REDACTED]. The game was launched back in October 2024, and has seen a positive response from players.
Shortly after releasing [REDACTED], the studio also updated The Callisto Protocol so that the horror game could make better use of the power of the PS5 Pro, allowing it to run at 4K/60 FPS or 8K/30 FPS with full ray tracing.
While its gameplay might be a bit rough, especially for fans of survival horror games that excel in that department like Resident Evil 4 or Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol is definitely still an impressive game when it comes to its visuals. Along with its lovingly-crafted blood-soaked zones, the game also features excellently-grotesque enemy designs, incredible facial capture, and plenty of ridiculous violence.
Since the release of The Callisto Protocol, Striking Distance Studios got quite a shake-up with co-founder Glen Schofield leaving the studio, and his position as CEO being taken up by Steve Papoutsis.
Currently, Striking Distance Studios is reportedly working on a new AAA title that will be developed using Unreal Engine 5. The studio itself hasn’t confirmed any new titles, however. Speculation has come about thanks to a job listing that was spotted last year, with the studio describing the position as being for “a brand new, unannounced” game.
For more details about The Callisto Protocol, check out our review.
