Dead Space creator Glen Schofield, and his studio, Striking Distance, have announced a new sci-fi horror game set in the universe of PUBG. The game is called The Callisto Protocol and was revealed during The Games Award 2020 with an announcement trailer.
According to the developers, The Callisto Protocol features a narrative experience within the world of PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) but in the future. It is set in the year 2320 and takes place at a prison colony called Black Iron in Callisto. The game’s protagonist is a prisoner held in Black Iron and finds himself during an alien invasion, which seems to be a plot administered by the prison’s warden.
With its announcement trailer’s release, many journalists have noted several thematic and gameplay similarities from the Dead Space series. It also seems that the game features a diegetic interface, which has been used in Dead Space. As seen in the video, the prisoner has a holographic indicator on his neck’s back, which indicates their health status and other attributes.
The development of The Callisto Protocol began with the creation of Striking Distance as a studio within the PUBG Corporation in June 2019. The studio was formed to expand the PUBG universe by creating narrative-driven games in the same setting.
Schofield said The Callisto Protocol and its concept was already in his mind before he met with PUBG Corporation. And together, they have worked to fit the game into the PUBG universe. He intends to make The Callisto Protocol the “scariest game” on next-gen platforms as Dead Space was when it was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Schofield also reveals that the game will take advantage of the new console’s lighting techniques and 3D audio systems to produce a powerfully immersive gaming experience.
The Callisto Protocol is expected to be released on gaming PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.