TimeSplitters Dev. Free Radical Fires 75% of Staff

December 26, 2008 7:47 AM

After declaring bankruptcy last week, Haze and TimeSplitters series developer Free Radical Design has now laid off "around 140" of its 185 employees. The studio's staff had been paid through the end of December, which is when the cuts will take effect.

"We're still trading on with the remaining 40 or so employees, have advertised the business for sale and have received some strong interest," ReSolve representative Cameron Gunn told 1UP. ReSolve had been tasked with assessing Free Radical's "financial position" and helping the developer weather its troubled times.

Free Radical was known to be working on TimeSplitters 4, and rumored to be developing Star Wars: Battlefront III for LucasArts. An anonymous staff member recently informed 1UP that the studio had "a number of cool projects in development--two of which are getting quite a lot of publisher interest already."

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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getlefty

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December 26, 2008 8:05 AM

It's too bad, these guys might not make the best games but they're usually pretty fun to play.
The TimeSplitters series is one I don't want to see vanish, I've been waiting for a next-gen TS game.
- jtthe2nd
  
   reply
  December 26, 2008 10:31 AM
  
  I was never a big fan of that series but then again I don't play multiplayer fps much these days.
- megreedy
  
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  December 26, 2008 10:47 AM
  
  i'm with ya... i love the timesplitters games... there freakin' awesome....
- monchipeters
  
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  December 27, 2008 1:29 AM
  
  R.I.P Timesplitters... hope someone revives the series, somewhere, somehow... we want it!
- fade2black244
  
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  December 29, 2008 1:03 PM
  
  RIP. Timesplitters.
  Some in that company were responsible for some of Rare's more popular FPSers.
  Goldeneye. Perfect Dark.
  They made a mistake with Haze, I think they deserve another chance.