Fans of TimeSplitters can see what might have happened if the game had been completed
Free Radical Design was closed earlier this month. The Embracer-owned studio was established in 2021 as a Deep Silver subsidiary with the goal of resurrecting the TimeSplitters franchise. The project sounded promising because it brought back key members of Free Radical’s original incarnation. Following the closure, the TimeSplitters reboot was officially cancelled, but fans are still getting a glimpse of what could have been. Several pieces of artwork from the reboot have been leaked online, depicting locations, character designs, and other elements that would have appeared in the finished game.
In the tweet below you can take a look at some of the images:
Art for the untitled TimeSplitters project that Free Radical Design had been working on has started to surface on the internet thanks to former employees.
— TimeSplitters News & Archives (@ts_archiv) December 16, 2023
Credits: Will Brown, Elmo La Mantia, Callum Summers pic.twitter.com/5WFBfiVLcH
TimeSplitters was a first-person shooter franchise that had several installments in the early 2000s. Free Radical Design was made up of several developers who had previously worked on GoldenEye: 007 and Perfect Dark for Rare. In the year 2000, TimeSplitters was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2. Free Radical followed the game with two multi-platform sequels: TimeSplitters 2 in 2002 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in 2005, ensuring that the series remained exclusive to PlayStation for a long time. The sequels were released for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox.

The TimeSplitters games were all well-received, but TimeSplitters 2 may be the most popular. The game received widespread acclaim at the time and was regarded as a worthy successor to Rare’s beloved FPS titles. The series has been on hiatus since 2005, and the future is looking bleak. For the time being, those interested in playing the games will have to settle for the original Xbox versions of TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect.
Embracer Group acquired a number of companies and properties in 2021 and 2022, including Crystal Dynamics, Limited Run Games, and Dark Horse Media. However, the company’s fortunes began to deteriorate in 2023. Embracer Group has been attempting to turn things around after a reported $2 billion deal fell through. As a result, Embracer Group studios such as Free Radical Design and Volition have been closed. Layoffs have also occurred at several Embracer-owned studios, including Crystal Dynamics. Rumors have even circulated that the company is considering selling Gearbox Software, the creators of the Borderlands franchise.
Egil Strunke, COO of Embracer Group, announced his departure from the company in November. Strunke stated in a post announcing his plans that he is “positive that Embracer will come out stronger and with a long, bright future ahead of them.” While Strunke is optimistic about the company’s future, public perception of Embracer isn’t what it used to be.