Free Radical Design, responsible for the TimeSplitters reboot, has shut down, as per statements from former employees obtained by Eurogamer. The company’s official website now leads to a 404 error, stating “company not found” alongside a frown face. Ex-staffers have also taken to social media to announce the shutdown.
Back in 2021, the company was re-established with the specific purpose of creating new games based on the dormant TimeSplitters series. However, Embracer Group, the parent company, has been cutting costs and reducing its workforce by over 900 people in recent months. This signaled trouble for Free Radical Design and jeopardized the TimeSplitters reboot’s future.
In an email to employees, Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors expressed “gratitude” for the team’s “remarkable work” and stated that the parent company aims to support laid-off workers “as much as we can during this transition.” However, no details regarding severance pay or similar benefits were provided. More than 50 people are believed to have lost their jobs due to the closure, a significant disappointment.
This event likely marks the end of the TimeSplitters franchise for the time being, though there is a possibility that another company will acquire the intellectual property in the future. The original Free Radical incarnation filed for bankruptcy in 2008 before briefly returning to handle the reboot.
Embracer has also shut down other companies this year, such as Saints Row developer Volition in August. The company is reportedly seeking to sell Borderlands developer Gearbox as well. Embracer had previously acquired Gearbox as part of a larger deal valued at $1.4 billion, paying around $363 million for it.
