Deep Silver has reformed Free Radical Design with “key members” of the original team, including studio founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, to bring the TimeSplitters franchise back from the dead.
The rights to TimeSplitters were acquired by Deep Silver owner THQ Nordic back in 2018. A revival was teased at the time, and now Deep Silver has all the parts in place to push ahead with development.
“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,” commented Steve Ellis, studio development director at Free Radical Design, in a press release. “While we cannot tell you anything more at the moment, we look forward to sharing information in the future.”
The original iteration of Free Radical was based in Nottingham, UK, and oversaw the development of three TimeSplitters titles, the last of which was 2005 release TimeSplitters: Future Perfect.
The studio’s final project was Haze, a Ubisoft-published first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3 that debuted in 2008 to mixed reviews. Following the launch of Haze, the company was purchased by Crytek and merged into Crytek UK.
THQ Nordic parent Embracer Group revealed the reformed studio will also be based in Nottingham, and is part of its broader plan to “further expand our creative engine through increased headcount” so it can revive dormant IPs.