Full Breakdown
Glen Schofield Announces Retirement After 35-Year Gaming Career
7/15/2026, 11:48:55 AM
Retirement Announcement
Glen Schofield used a LinkedIn video to announce that he is stepping away from “day-to-day work” in the video-game industry. In the farewell message he thanked his family, former colleagues, and gamers for their support. He offered no explicit reason for the decision, noting only that he has “had the privilege of witnessing one of the best periods in video-game history.”
Career Highlights
Schofield entered the industry in 1991 with Absolute Entertainment, later moving to Crystal Dynamics and then Visceral Games. At EA he produced James Bond and Lord of the Rings titles before receiving permission to create a new IP, which became Dead Space. After the game’s success he co-founded Sledgehammer Games with Michael Condrey, contributing to *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3* (2011), *Advanced Warfare* (2014), and *Call of Duty: WWII* (2017). He later led development of *The Callisto Protocol* (2022) and attempted to launch a fourth *Dead Space* title around the 2023 remake of the original game. Following a departure from Krafton’s Striking Distance Studios, Schofield shifted focus to visual art and generative AI.
Industry Context and Funding Challenges
Schofield’s retirement comes amid a broader industry slowdown described as a “post-COVID malaise.” He has spoken publicly about the difficulty of securing funding for new projects, noting that early investor feedback in 2025 demanded a $10 million budget, which later fell to $2–5 million. The period has seen large layoffs at major studios such as Xbox, Bungie, and Ubisoft, rising development costs, and longer production cycles that have strained traditional AAA pipelines.
Official Statements & Responses
In his LinkedIn address Schofield praised the talent that continues to drive the sector, acknowledging current hardships while expressing optimism. He highlighted that “the most important thing is the idea” and encouraged the next generation of developers to “explore, experiment, enjoy.” His remarks reflect both gratitude for past achievements and confidence in the industry’s creative future.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The past couple of decades have been some of the greatest times in videogames,” — Glen Schofield, LinkedIn video
- “Some of the best games have come out over these times, [from] some of the greatest talent in the world I've been able to work with. I thank you all. I had a front row seat to one of the greatest creative explosions in history, I think.” — Glen Schofield, LinkedIn video
- “People loved the concept,” — Glen Schofield, LinkedIn post, 2025
- “he's full of crap” — Glen Schofield, commenting on Elon Musk’s xAI claim (LinkedIn)
- “This is an amazing industry with so many talented people,” — Glen Schofield, LinkedIn farewell
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