Upcoming survival horror title The Callisto Protocol from Striking Distance is not part of the Playerunknown's Battlegrounds universe anymore.

That's according to the developer's CEO Glen Schofield (pictured), who said in a post on Twitter that it was now its own "world, story and universe." Why this change was made was unclear, but The Callisto Protocol being part of the PUBG IP did always feel somewhat strange.

It's possible that the mandate of creating another game set in the PUBG universe came from parent company Krafton and was not workable with the final product. It could also be the case that Krafton wants to diversify its IP, given that the company seems to be incredibly reliant on the battle royale franchise. 

"FYI The Callisto Protocol is its own story and world," Schofield wrote.

"It no longer takes place in the PUBG Universe. It was originally part of the PUBG timeline but grew into its own world. PUBG is awesome, & we will still have little surprises for fans, but TCP is its own world, story and universe."

The Callisto Protocol was originally unveiled at The Game Award 2020 with a 2022 release date in mind. Some of the staff at Striking Distance – including Schofield and chief development officer Steve Papoutsis – are veterans of Visceral Games, best-known for the similarly sci-fi horror-themed Dead Space IP. 

There is a remake/reimagining of that title on the way, which is slated for launch in early 2023.