TimeSplitters cancelation was a “big letdown,” says studio co-founder

TimeSplitters’ cancelation was a “big letdown” for the studio, especially co-founder Steve Ellis, who worked on the originals back in the day. Free Radical Design was shuttered, resurrected, and shuttered again in December as part of Embracer Group’s continued layoffs throughout the years.

In a GamesIndustry.biz interview, Ellis confirms this is likely the nail in the coffin for TimeSplitters and the end of his involvement with the series, and is unsure if Plaion or Embracer “will do anything with it.” It’s even more unfortunate as the studio felt safe from the layoffs since public statements about what projects were getting canned didn’t align with what it was producing.

Obviously this is a huge letdown for not just the Free Radical behind it, but also the fans who have been waiting for the triumphant return of the franchise, with 2005 technically being the series’ las teamt entry with the cancelled TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. Now, with Free Radical’s closure again, it’s unlikely we’ll see anything new with the IP, it also sounds like Embracer owns the rights to TimeSplitters, which could be even more damning.