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Timesplitters creator Free Radical has been reformed by its original founders, to work on a new game in the franchise.
Based in Nottingham, the studio will be lead by Steve Ellis and David – two of the original company’s four founders. Free Radical will now bring the Timesplitters IP “back to life,” although work has not yet started on a new game.
“To finally be able to confirm that the studio has been formed and that we have a plan for the next TimeSplitters game is incredible,” says studio development director Steve Ellis. “While we cannot tell you anything more at the moment, we look forward to sharing information in the future.”
Free Radical originally formed back in 1999, founded by ex-Rare employees with experience working on GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. The studio is best known for its TimeSplitters games, which proved popular (particularly among future MCV/DEVELOP staff writers). However, following the disappointing performance of PS3 title Haze, and the cancellation of a Star Wars: Battlefront project, the studio went bankrupt in 2008.
Free Radical then lost most of its staff – though the studio itself was rebranded as Crytek UK to work on Homefront: The Revolution. Once Crytek UK closed, staff were moved on to Deep Silver Dambuster Studios.
Timesplitters itself hasn’t been seen since TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in 2005, though publisher Koch Media acquired the rights to the IP back in 2018 with the intention of resurrecting the brand.
