Free Radical Design in Danger of Closing Down Again After Embracer Restructuring

Key Highlights :

1. Free Radical Design is in danger of closing down due to the current of its parent company, Embracer.

2. UK law requires the Plaion (which oversees the developer) to consult employees for 30 days minimum before doing any type of redundancies and must find ways to avoid them.

3. If a third party were to buy the studio, it would remain open.

4. The original iteration of Free Radical following the release of its PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter from the previous year.

5. At one point, it was a series whose original developer Pandemic Studios closed in 2008. Crytek then acquired the studio in 2009 and rebranded it as Crytek UK, where it co-developed 2011's and led development on the multiplayer port for 2013's . Crytek UK was set to develop , but sources within the company alleged Crytek had and bonuses for . The was later sold to Koch Media, and the Nottingham office was quietly shut down.

6. In 2021, Deep Silver with original co-founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, and tasked them with reviving its first-person shooter series, TimeSplitters. The original was released in 2000, with two sequels following shortly after. 2005's was the last entry in the series.

7. Hand in hand with the studio revival was the news that was in development. But with the studio once again at risk of shutting down, time may be out for the beloved B-series.

     The gaming industry has seen some major changes in the past few years, and the latest news from Free Radical Design is no exception. The two-year old revived iteration of the studio, best known for the Timesplitters series, is in danger of closing down a second time due to the current restructuring of its parent company Embracer. Sources speaking to VGC have indicated that Free Radical staff have been informed the studio is under evaluation and may be closed.

     The original iteration of Free Radical Design was formed in 1999, and the studio released its PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter Haze in 2008. Crytek then acquired the studio in 2009 and rebranded it as Crytek UK, where it co-developed the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Crysis 2 in 2011 and led development on the multiplayer port of Crysis 3 for 2013. Crytek UK was set to develop Homefront: The Revolution, but sources within the company alleged Crytek had stopped paying salaries and bonuses for the game's development. The Homefront franchise was later sold to Koch Media, and the Nottingham office was quietly shut down.

     In 2021, Deep Silver announced the revival of Free Radical Design with original co-founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, and tasked them with reviving its first-person shooter series, TimeSplitters. The original game was released in 2000, with two sequels following shortly after. The last entry in the series was TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, which was released in 2005. Hand in hand with the studio revival was the news that TimeSplitters 4 was in development.

     But with the studio once again at risk of shutting down, time may be out for the beloved B-series. UK law requires the Plaion (which oversees the developer) to consult employees for 30 days minimum before doing any type of redundancies and must find ways to avoid them. VGC noted that should a third party be interested in buying the studio, it will remain open. Even so, the outlet acknowledged several Free Radical staff are already posting on LinkedIn that they're looking for work.

     The future of Free Radical Design is uncertain, and only time will tell if the studio will be able to survive this latest restructuring. With the gaming industry continuing to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the beloved Timesplitters series.

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