Some of The Callisto Protocol developers were left out of the end credits, and understandably, they’re not happy about it.
The Callisto Protocol was released in December 2022 and is considered to be a spiritual successor to the Dead Space series. Developed by Striking Distance Studios, the game was led by one of the Dead Space creators, Glen Schofield.
The Callisto Protocol divided opinion
However, upon its launch, The Callisto Protocol divided opinion. Sure, this game looked amazing and it had a great atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was accused by some as being quite a generic sci-fi horror that never offered much new to the genre. What’s more, the PC port especially was plagued with performance issues.
Thankfully, following its launch a series of patches have helped to fix the game. Not only does it perform better, but various quality-of-life improvements have been made. I can only speak from a PS5 perspective, but the game feels like it’s in a much better state now.
Sadly, while the game appears to be mostly fixed, its continued troubles never seem to be far away. However, instead of performance issues, the latest woes come in the form of those that helped to develop the game.
Allegedly 20 staff were not credited
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, it is claimed that “roughly 20 people” that contributed towards the development of The Callisto Protocol were not featured in the end credits. It is also reported that those not credited with their contributions even included senior developers.
A source of GamesIndustry.biz said: “It sucks. I made a good amount of contribution and worked on it for [a length of time]. To just not be there at all is shitty.”
What’s more, a former developer stated that it would be understandable if someone had only contributed a “small amount.” Though, I’d say it would be nice to have seen everyone get the credit they earned.
Furthermore, it is reported that some that were not credited include employees that worked for Striking Distance Studios on a full-time basis for over a year. Moreover, those particular employees are said to have “had a hand in significant parts of the product”.
Was Striking Distance playing favourites?
Accusations were also made claiming that some at Striking Distance Studios played favourites, and those not within the inner circle were not credited with their work.
Back in September 2022, Striking Distance Studios CEO, Glen Schofield seemingly glorified a crunch culture.
“I only talk about the game during an event. We’re working 6-7 days a week, nobody’s forcing us. Exhaustion, tired, Covid but we’re working,” tweeted Schofield. “Bugs, glitches, perf fixes. 1 last pass thru audio. 12-15 hr days. This is gaming. Hard work. Lunch, dinner, working. U do it ’cause ya luv it.”
However, Schofield then backtracked with an apology and insinuated that his tweet was misinterpreted.
Hopefully, the credits controversy can be fixed with another patch for The Callisto Protocol so that everyone can get the credit they earned. The Callisto Protocol is out now for PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
While you’re here, be sure to check out our video of the week. 10 of the scariest horror games of all time are shown off. What is your favourite horror game?
Featured Image Credit: Striking Distance Studios/Source: Eurogamer via GamesIndustry.biz