Reports are emerging that Free Radical, the studio best known for TimeSplitters, is on the verge of closure. Free Radical would thus be the latest new victim of the restructuring at Embracer Group.
Free Radical over the years
Free Radical was founded in 1999 by former Rare employees. The studio immediately attracted attention with the fantastic TimeSplitters, a first-person shooter franchise.
After some difficult years, Free Radical was acquired by Crytek UK in 2009, which then sold the studio to Deep Silver in 2014, where it was renamed Dambuster Studios, which brought us Dead Island 2 this year.
In May 2021, it was announced that Free Radical was being brought back as the name for a completely new studio that would once again deal with TimeSplitters. The studio would be led by Steve Ellis and David Doak, two of the founders of Free Radical.
Takeover as salvation?
Now it is the new Free Radical that will probably be closed down, although there is apparently still a chance that the studio will continue to exist. For this, Embracer Group would have to receive a decent takeover offer, but the chance of that happening is currently small. Several employees are now reportedly looking for a new job.
Tags: TimeSplitters studio Free Radical closed
