Replace, 12/11/23:
Final month, VideoGamesChronicle reported that Free Radical Design, the staff behind the TimeSplitters franchise, is perhaps dealing with a whole shutdown. It appears that evidently shutdown has occurred, because the Free Radical Design web site now results in a 404 web page. Plus, numerous staff have been posting in regards to the studio, saying goodbye to it and extra on-line.
The final day at FRD was very totally different from what I imagined. I do not suppose it sunk in correctly simply but, however handed my keys in and left the constructing the final time. It is Time to Cut up pic.twitter.com/n1UGELsoED
— Adam Kiraly (@94Kiraly) December 11, 2023
Recreation Informer has reached out to Embracer Group, which, through writer Deep Silver, introduced in 2021 that it was reforming Free Radical Design to work on a brand new entry within the TimeSplitters sequence, for affirmation and touch upon the matter. It’s going to replace this story if it learns extra.
The unique story continues under…
Authentic story, 11/08/23:
Writer Deep Silver, which is owned by Embracer Group, introduced in 2021 that it was reforming TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design to start improvement on a brand new entry within the sequence. Now, a brand new report from VideoGamesChronicle says this reformed Free Radical Design may very well be dealing with a whole shutdown, including to Embracer’s continued restructuring that has resulted within the closure of studios like Saints Row developer Volition Video games.
Yesterday, Embracer COO Egil Strunke introduced that he had resigned from the place to launch a brand new sport firm, as reported by PC Gamer, amidst Embracer’s tough 12 months. Right this moment, VGC reviews that individuals familar with the issues of Free Radical Design say the studio has been a part of an analysis inside Embracer and that the studio might shut in consequence. The publication writes that Plaion, which is the Embracer division that runs Free Radical Design, should seek the advice of staff no less than 30 days upfront earlier than layoffs per U.Okay. regulation. That regulation is probably going how Free Radical Design staff have realized a few potential closure.
VGC notes that on LinkedIn and social media, no less than 15 Free Radical Design worker have mentioned they’re in search of new employment inside the final 24 hours. Recreation Informer has reached out to Embracer to ask for affirmation and extra particulars surrounding Free Radical Design’s potential closure, and can replace this story if extra info is realized.
As famous by VGC, whereas the studio might shut, that is not but assured. It may very well be acquired by a third-party within the staff, or just saved open with a change of thoughts by Embracer.
Embracer-owned writer Deep Silver, who additionally printed this 12 months’s Useless Island 2, introduced in 2021 that it had reformed the unique TimeSplitters developer, Free Radical Design, to create a brand new TimeSplitters sport. This new model of Free Radical Design options key members of the unique staff, together with founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, each of whom labored on video games like GoldenEye 007 and Good Darkish whereas beforehand employed at Uncommon.
The primary iteration of Free Radical Design was bought by Crytek in 2009 after which rebranded as Crytek UK. Nonetheless, it was shutdown in 2014, with a lot of the employees shifting to Useless Island 2 developer Deep Silver Dambuster Studio, which additionally developed Homefront: The Revolution.
Deep Silver homeowners Koch Media bought the TimeSplitters IP in 2018, formally making Free Radical Design a Deep Silver studio within the course of, all of which at the moment are beneath the Embracer Group umbrella after Embracer bought Koch Media in 2018.
Free Radical Design was set to develop the fourth TimeSplitters sport within the sequence, however now its future as a studio stays unclear.
The potential Free Radical Design closure joins an sadly ever-growing record of layoffs affecting studios this 12 months. Yesterday, Ubisoft laid off greater than 100 staff, and final week, roughly 100 staff had been laid off at Future 2 developer Bungie.
In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 staff amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it accomplished final month.
In August, Putting Distance Studios, the staff behind final 12 months’s The Callisto Protocol, laid off greater than 30 staff, and that very same month, Mass Impact and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 staff, together with long-time studio veterans. The next month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its employees.
Simply final month month, The Final of Us developer Naughty Canine has laid off no less than 25 staff, and Telltale Video games has gone via layoffs as effectively, though an precise variety of laid-off staff has not but been revealed. And in late October, Goals developer Media Molecule laid off 20 staff.
The hearts of the Recreation Informer employees are with everybody affected by these layoffs and people at Free Radical Design.
[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]