Horror fans have had a lot to enjoy lately, ranging from Capcom's smash hit Resident Evil: Village to Housemarque's unsettling shooter Returnal, and yet the genre still has a lot to offer in the near future. For instance, The Callisto Protocol seems like it could be a particularly strong addition to the horror field this year. In this new title from Striking Distance Studios, players take the role of a prisoner trying to survive an alien invasion in the far future. Notably, The Callisto Protocol belongs to the same universe as classic battle royale PUBG: Battlegrounds, since Striking Distance is part of PUBG's publisher. The connection between the two games remains to be seen.
Ever since it was revealed, The Callisto Protocol drew comparisons to Dead Space for its horrific alien threats and the implied sense of being trapped with these creatures. Dead Space is a great franchise to get compared to, but it seemed like it could act against The Callisto Protocol since a remake of the original Dead Space is on the way. Luckily, it appears that these two games will dodge each others' releases, meaning they both have more breathing room. It's possible that release dates will changes, but for the moment, these games have given each other some necessary space.
The Callisto Protocol and Dead Space's Releases
Striking Distance Studios and Krafton currently plan on releasing The Callisto Protocol sometime in 2022, whereas Motive Studios and EA won't release the Dead Space remake until 2023. That's great news for The Callisto Protocol, which desperately needs to stand on its own two feet. It may not technically be the first game in its franchise, but The Callisto Protocol still has a lot of world building to do. Krafton clearly hopes to launch a universe of PUBG: Battlegrounds games with the help of The Callisto Protocol. In order to do that, The Callisto Protocol needs to succeed, which may have proven difficult if Dead Space's resurgence happened at the same time.
Dead Space's strong reputation means that it's capable of pulling a lot of attention away from the seemingly similar Callisto Protocol, but it would have faced some risks if it launched near The Callisto Protocol too. As famous as Dead Space is, fans may have proven more interested in a new but similar game than a remake of an old title. The remake needs a strong launch, or else EA might feel discouraged from making more Dead Space products. If the two games release in different years, they'll likely premiere at least a few months apart, meaning they both have plenty of room to stretch their legs and make some sales.
The Road Ahead for Callisto Protocol
Of course, the possibility of delays can't be ignored. Since Krafton hasn't nailed down The Callisto Protocol's release date, it's entirely possible that Callisto Protocol will get pushed back into 2023, meaning it's at risk of butting heads with Dead Space. In that case, Krafton may find itself hoping that Dead Space will get a similar delay. If any release window changes are needed, hopefully Krafton and EA mind one another's projects and make an effort to release their games far apart from each other so that they can both perform better.
For the moment, The Callisto Protocol doesn't seem like it'll need a delay. A recent tweet from Striking Distance Studios CEO and Dead Space creator Glen Schofield implied that The Callisto Protocol is doing well, and that more information about the game is on the way. Horror game fans should keep an eye out for the next big announcement from Striking Distance, since any upcoming reveals are bound to include release date information. With any luck, The Callisto Protocol will commit to its planned release year, meaning it and Dead Space get to keep their mutual breathing room.
The Callisto Protocol releases in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
