Bold statement: The story of Sledgehammer’s Glen Schofield reveals a bittersweet truth about the publishing world—once-mighty giants like EA and Activision are quietly stepping back from the roles that defined an era, and that shift stings more than many expect.
Schofield, the founder of Sledgehammer and a veteran of Striking Distance, shared his thoughts on the sale of EA to a group of investors, calling the moment “bittersweet” and likening it to Activision’s sale to Microsoft. He noted that in just a few years, these two publishing powerhouses have entered new chapters, reshaping the landscape that has shaped the industry for over two decades. In a LinkedIn post, he reflected on his decade-long tenures at each company, describing the feeling of watching them fade from their roles as dominant publishers and premier development homes as more painful than anticipated.
His memories of EA portray a disciplined, high-pressure environment where meetings were rigorous and expectations were crystal clear. Players and studios were pushed to know every detail of their games, with franchise reviews that had no shortcuts. Leaving those meetings, you always understood your exact standing.
By contrast, he recalled Activision as a cauldron of strong personalities—organized, intense, and highly productive. Review sessions were lively, sometimes chaotic, but always laser-focused on improving the game. Hours could stretch into two-and-a-half sessions, and those extended discussions rarely felt wasted, because they were devoted to quality and progress.
Schofield admitted the sight of these changes hurts: major publishers and development powerhouses have diminished in their former roles, and the places where many of his peers learned their craft are evolving. He emphasized, however, that the industry tends to renovate itself: new leaders, studios, and publishers will rise to carry the banner forward. He expressed hope that the next wave will lead, mentor, and invest in talent just as EA and Activision did, setting a high bar that drives everyone to improve. He reiterated his gratitude to both companies for the opportunities they provided and for helping shape his career.
Separately, Eurogamer reported that Schofield had already begun discussions with EA’s new owners about the possibility of a Dead Space 4. He originally helped develop the 2008 Dead Space game and later created The Callisto Protocol at Striking Distance Studios. He departed Striking Distance in 2023 after the latter game underperformed commercially. Earlier this year, he also posted on LinkedIn that the game industry remains tough, suggesting that his latest project may not move forward and hinting at the possibility of stepping back from active game development.
What do you think this shift means for the industry’s future talent pipelines, innovation, and risk-taking? Are large publishers still the best engines for ambitious projects, or will indie and new publisher models better nurture the next generation of groundbreaking games?
