The Callisto Protocol Release Date, Trailer And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Developed by Krafton subsidiary Striking Distance Studios, "The Callisto Protocol" has a bit of an interesting development cycle. Originally intended to be set in the same universe as battle royale heavyweight "PUBG," the powers-that-be later abandoned this concept two years after the game's original announcement. With such a key change to the game's lore late into its development, it wouldn't be unreasonable for some to believe that "The Callisto Protocol" could be going through some issues behind the scenes.

Despite the game being stripped of its connection to "PUBG," there is still plenty to be excited about when it comes to "The Callisto Protocol." After all, one of its key figures is Glen Schofield, the co-founder of the beloved sci-fi horror series "Dead Space." If this new game can at all replicate that kind of success, then it might shake up to be one of the year's best games. But what is "The Callisto Protocol," what will the gameplay be like, and when can you expect to play it? Here's everything we know about "The Callisto Protocol" so far.

"The Callisto Protocol" is currently scheduled to be released on December 2, 2022. The game's release will be across both the older and generation platforms, including the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4. The December 2022 release date comes two years after "The Callisto Protocol" was initially announced at the 2020 Game Awards, an announcement that garnered tons of attention due to the game being the brainchild of Glen Schofield who had previously co-founded the popular sci-fi horror series "Dead Space."

The release date for "The Callisto Protocol" was revealed as part of its extended gameplay trailer at a 2022 PlayStation State of Play event. The trailer quickly caught fire and spread throughout the internet and social media, garnering over 1.3 million views and 57 thousand likes on PlayStation's official YouTube channel. A Reddit thread regarding the game's showcase at the 2022 Summer Games Festival also gained tons of momentum and has received close to 1500 upvotes and 200 comments. Mostly, fans were pleased to see that "The Callisto Protocol" seems to resemble the gameplay in "Dead Space," hoping that it will employ gore as much as Schofield's previous work. To put it plainly, the pre-release cycle for "The Callisto Protocol" has been full to the brim with hype.

A trailer showcasing extended gameplay footage for "The Callisto Protocol" was released on June 2, 2022. In the trailer, an unknown character can be heard talking about the planet Callisto, known by its nickname "The Dead Moon." At just over 2 minutes in length, the trailer splices gameplay footage with in-game cinematics, showing off both the brutality and horror that gamers will have to experience. A central figure in the trailer is the main character Jacob Lee, a prisoner on Callisto who is caught in the middle of chaos following an invasion of a hostile alien contingency. Jacob Lee is voiced by popular Hollywood actor Josh Duhamel, who also provided his likeness to the character.

The trailer for "The Callisto Protocol" leaves little to the imagination, boasting enough gore to satisfy even the most jaded of horror fans and enough sci-fi goodness to really hammer home the game's space setting. To make things even better (or worse, depending on who you are), a majority of the trailer's shots in terms of both gameplay and cinematics are close-up shots that show off the lifelike details of both the human protagonist and the creepy alien antagonists in nearly photorealistic detail.

Given Glen Schofield's history with the "Dead Space" series, it's only natural for fans of the IP to look out for similarities between the legacy sci-fi horror games and "The Callisto Protocol." If you're one such person, then you're in luck! According to the gameplay trailer, "The Callisto Protocol" is a third-person shooter that places a heavy emphasis on horror elements. The trailer also appears to show more cinematic parts of gameplay, such as climbing objects and strafing through tight (and hostile) corridors.

In a 2020 interview with Polygon, Schofield said that he envisioned "The Callisto Protocol" to be "the most terrifying game on next-gen platforms" upon its release. In terms of the new IP being compared to "Dead Space," Schofield relented, saying: "You know, [I] have a particular style. And I can't get away from my style. My style has grown and maybe matured a little bit, but it is my style. I'm sure there'll be some familiar vibes within the game."

Whether or not "The Callisto Protocol" matches the expectations that have been set for it upon its release in October remains to be seen. But no matter what, the new game has surely drummed up quite the attention.