Glen Schofield hopes that the new owners of Electronic Arts will eventually sell the Dead Space intellectual property. Speaking with IGN at the Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show, the veteran game designer said he still dreams of making Dead Space 4.
Schofield revealed that he recently submitted a proposal to Electronic Arts, claiming he could save the publisher between $30 and $40 million by reusing development tools created by Motive Studio for the 2023 remake and by bringing back the former leadership of Visceral Games. However, EA rejected his proposal. It remains unclear whether he was referring to the pitch he submitted nearly a year ago or whether he made a new attempt more recently.
Still, Schofield — who worked at Visceral Games when the franchise was first created — is not giving up. He told IGN that after the $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts by a group of investors, there might now be an opportunity, and that he’s already working to make it happen. He admits he doesn’t know where EA currently stands but doubts the company made much money from the Dead Space remake. Schofield believes the IP should expand into other media, like film or television, and remains optimistic that a new owner might eventually acquire the rights.
Schofield may be right: EA didn’t earn significant profits from the remake of the first game, which explains why Motive’s proposal to remake the second installment was rejected and the sci-fi horror series was once again shelved. It’s also plausible that EA could sell the IP entirely, as the company must reduce its massive debt following the leveraged buyout. This will likely lead to layoffs, but analysts have also discussed the potential sale of studios or entire franchises. The consensus is that EA will focus on its most profitable series — like sports titles and Battlefield — leaving little room for single-player franchises such as Dragon Age, Mass Effect, or Dead Space, which have not always met expectations.
Interestingly, Schofield remains optimistic despite recent setbacks. In late July, he admitted that The Callisto Protocol might have been his final game after failing to secure support for a new project. Deeply inspired by Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol had a large budget from Krafton but failed to meet fan and investor expectations, leading to Schofield’s departure from Striking Distance Studios.
