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The UK-based game development studio Free Radical Design, the developers of the classic TimeSplitters franchise, appears to have tragically closed its doors forever.
After recently being reformed in May of 2021 by veteran game developers Steve Ellis and David Dolak, the studio had already been hit by rough times as Embracer Group had revealed the studio was in danger of closing its doors due to restructuring.
With the studio inevitably closing soon, it was of no shock that on December 11, 2023, Free Radical Design’s web page was almost entirely shut down. With only a single message remaining that read “404 Company Not Found :-(“
In addition to this, Adam Kirkly, a Senior Tech Artist and now ex-employee of Free Radical Design took to Twitter to confirm the closure of the studio. His tweet was very somber as he felt the closure of the studio hadn’t yet sunk in yet.
The closure of Free Radical Design has been met by the internet with feelings of despair, especially from fans of the TimeSpitters franchise. While the studio wasn’t a household name, they were still important in the hearts of many gamers around the world.
Unfortunately for TimeSplitters fans, the bad news doesn’t just end with the closure of the company. It is likely that a new TimeSplitters game had in fact been in development before this announcement. Back in May of 2021, publisher Deep Silver had stated that while development of a new game hadn’t started yet, it would begin in the coming months.
With the closure of Free Radical Design, it is unlikely any material from this now-canceled game will ever see the light of day. Adding this canceled TimeSplitters project to the ever-growing pile of gaming lost media.
