TimeSplitters isn’t as beloved as games like GoldenEye 007 or Halo, but it is a cult classic console shooter that spawned two equally excellent sequels. The team behind the series at Free Radical Design went on to release a few more solid shooters in Haze, Crysis 2, and Crysis 3 (the latter two coming after a purchase by Crytek), but ultimately closed its doors in 2014. Then, the studio was reformed in 2021 under Embracer Group, and it was announced that TimeSplitters was officially making a comeback. They never delivered on that promise, and we finally know why.
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David Doak, one of the co-founders of the original Free Radical Design, who was brought back for the reformation, recently put out a statement about the whole ordeal. It’s not as illuminating as you might hope, but it does make it clear that Free Radical very much wanted the next TimeSplitters to see the light of day.
What Happened to the TimeSplitters Reboot?
In a press release from EGX at MCM London Comic Con (thanks to RetBit for spotting the release), Doak said, “I don’t think it was our fault it didn’t work out. I can’t say much more than that. Bigger forces were in play.”
This seemingly confirms what fans have always believed. The TimeSplitters reboot died due to meddling from Embracer Group. We don’t have the specifics, and probably never will, but for whatever reason, the mega publisher didn’t find Free Radical’s work ready to release and decided to move on, shuttering the studio once again in 2023.
For what it’s worth, Doak added in his release, “I think it’s really hard now…certainly the prospect of making some kind of even AA shooter now. It’s such an overworked scene, it’s so hard to innovate in it.” From that, we can guess that Free Radical might’ve been having a harder time finding something to make the TimeSplitters reboot unique. That’s, of course, a bit of guesswork on our part, but the difficulty in modern AA development certainly could’ve added to Embracer’s decision to close the studio.
Either way, this seems like it’s the end for TimeSplitters. That’s a shame because the first three games were all solid. TimeSplitters 2, in particular, is one of the best shooters on the PlayStation 2, claiming a 90 on MetaCritic. Fortunately, there is some good news for fans of Free Radical’s cult classic.
For many years, a team of fans has been working on a project called TimeSplitters Rewind. It is a remake of the original trilogy that includes all three campaigns and a collection of the series’ greatest maps, modes, and challenges. It’s an ambitious project that has been in development for several years, but it looks like it will finally see the light of day later this year.
The official website is running a countdown clock that is ticking down to November 23rd, so fans should finally be able to dive into the free, fan-made remake very soon. That doesn’t quite kill the sting of the TimeSplitters reboot being cancelled, but it’s the best outcome we can expect at this point.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
