Former Striking Distance and Sledgehammer founder Glen Schofield has shared his concerns about the sale of his former employer, EA, saying it’s a “bittersweet moment” that reminds him of the sale of Activision to Microsoft.
“in the span of just a few years, the two publishing giants who shaped the last 20+ years of our industry have both entered new eras,” he said.
“I spent roughly a decade at each company, right in their primes,” he wrote to LinkedIn. “Watching them fade from their roles as dominant publishers and powerhouse training grounds hits harder than I expected.”
“EA was buttoned-up, disciplined, and structured in a way that forced you to rise to the level of the room. Franchise reviews were intense – no shortcuts, no guessing. You had to know every inch of your game. And they’d challenge you, push you, test you. But when you walked out of that meeting, you knew exactly where you stood.”
Reflecting on his first meeting as an executive producer, Schofield revealed that “being [at EA] felt like a creative all-star lineup”, with “so many legends in one place”. Activision, by contrast, “was a storm of A-type personalities, but in the best possible way”.
“Review meetings were loud, passionate, borderline chaotic, with people calling out questions over one another,” he said. “But the questions were sharp, focused, and always aimed at making the game better. A one-hour meeting becoming two and a half was normal and somehow, the time always felt well spent.
“So yes, it’s tough to watch these companies step back from what they once were: major publishers, major developers, and incredible places to grow, learn, and sharpen your craft. They trained generations of us. They made careers. Mine included.”
But despite the “bittersweet” nature of his message, Schofield did acknowledged that the “bright side” of the acquisition means others will now be able to step up.
“New leaders. New studios. New publishers. Someone will take that mantle, we always do as an industry. And when they do, I hope they lead, teach, and invest in talent the way EA and Activision did. They set a bar that pushed all of us to be better. They’re both still around, and I sincerely wish them success in whatever comes next.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you EA and Activision for an amazing run and for everything you helped me become.”
Earlier this year, Eurogamer reported that Dead Space creator Glen Schofield was “already making calls” to EA’s new owners in the hope he can make Dead Space 4. Schofield was executive producer on the first Dead Space game in 2008, and while he wasn’t involved in its two follow-ups, he later developed the spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol at Striking Distance Studios in 2022. He left Striking Distance in 2023 after the game flopped.
Earlier this year, Schofield posted on LinkedIn the games industry is “tough” after failing to obtain financial backing for his latest project, hinting he may have directed his last game.